BFA Part 2: The Doragon Tatsujin
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After encountering a mysterious man in battle, Byakuya develops powers related to an old dragon myth. But are his powers meant to protect, or will he be used for darker purposes? Warning...mpreg**CHAPTER 20 IS AN ALL NEW CHAPTER!
1. Awakening

**The Doragon Tatsujin**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_(Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to write a sequel to __Building From Ashes__. Byakuya and Renji are happily married, but their fun was interrupted by hollows, a fact that left some readers desiring a proper wedding night for these two. They will have that, after a short bit of weirdness…and then the true strangeness will begin! Enjoy…and don't forget to review. I want to hear your thoughts and ideas!)_**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

"So, Taichou, do you think there will still be cake when we get back?" Abarai Renji asked, swinging Zabimaru in a long arc.

The zanpakutou's serrated edge slashed through a large group of hollows, destroying ten as it extended and another ten as it returned. Byakuya raked the field of hollows with petal blades.

"Though I'm not partial to sweets, I imagine there will be," Byakuya replied, sending a second wave of petal blades into the cloud of hollows, "But given the number of hollows here, we may not return in time for anything but the farewells."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, sending Zabimaru swinging away again, "It's like hollow soup out here! You take out ten and ten more appear. But these are small fries. I wonder what the big boys are up to while these guys are keeping us busy here!"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"An insightful question, Abarai," he said, reaching out with his senses, "Keep them busy, if you will. I will be back."

"Taichou? Hey!" Renji objected as Byakuya flash stepped away, "Kami, I hate it when he does that!"

"Abarai fukutaichou! We're here to help!"

A wave of Squad Six shinigami charged ahead into the sea of hollows, zanpakutou blazing. Renji watched as they attacked, then flash stepped past them and spotted another group of hollows approaching, these stronger than the first. Shaking his head, he raised Zabimaru.

"Ban kai, Hihio Zabimaru!"

The skeletal snake shrieked and rose up into the air. Renji sent it crashing through the lead hollows, then directed it to turn.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" he cried.

Red fire flared in the mouth of the snake and its great head lifted. Turning in a slow arc, it raked the field with red fire, incinerating hollow after hollow as it blazed across the field. Renji heard the approach of the support fighters and scanned the field again, reaching out to sense where Byakuya had gone.

"Damn! I stink at reading reiatsu trails!" he muttered, frowning in annoyance as menos grande appeared ahead of him, "Where the hell did he disappear to?"

The skeletal snake turned and shot across the battlefield, firing red flame and shrieking madly. It tore into the nearest two enemies, then slashed another on its return. He sent the serpent across the battlefield again, destroying the last of the menos grande, then looked around, studying the area carefully. The other Squad Six fighters were finishing off the last of the hollows and Byakuya was still nowhere to be seen. He reached out with his senses again and felt the touch of strong reiatsu in the distance.

"There you are," he said softly, turning and flash stepping toward it.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya flash stepped past the sea of minor hollows and the stronger group behind them…then further past the group of menos grande, honing in on the strong reiatsu he had sensed. It pulsed enticingly in the distance and it did not elude Kuchiki Byakuya that whatever manner of creature was the source of it, the beast either wanted to attract attention or was powerful enough that it didn't concern itself with whom it might attract.

The reiatsu did not have the feel of a hollow or any sort of being he was familiar with. It waited in the distance, either unaware of the approach of the Gotei 13 taichou, or uncaring.

The idea that it might be the latter sent a feeling of warning through the noble. He drew down his own reiatsu and approach quietly, his eyes scanning the rocky landscape around him. He didn't feel the presence of the hollows anymore. He sensed the presence of the support troops and he felt Renji's reiatsu reaching out in search of him and missing him as it swept over. He sighed and shook his head. He was going to have to spend some time with Renji practicing reading reiatsu trails…soon.

He realized suddenly that he was not alone. A dark form had appeared on the trail ahead of him and stood as though waiting. He was tall and dark haired with piercing black eyes and sharp, angular features. His clothing was odd, reminding Byakuya of the old stories in the Kuchiki family archive…the oldest of the myths…and the most dangerous.

He felt an odd sensation pass through him and realized that the other was reading him, perhaps trying to gauge his ability. He stood quietly, waiting for the other to move or speak. But the man said nothing…only continued to stare at the shinigami on the trail before him.

"Why are you here?" Byakuya asked finally, "Are you with the hollows that attacked the town?"

The dark eyes looked deeply into his. A feeling of warning passed through Byakuya and although he remained calm on the surface, his body tensed inwardly in preparation for battle.

"I am not with the hollows," the other said quietly, "I was only using them to find you."

"You were looking for me?"

The other nodded.

"You opened a Spirit Link."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

"What has the Spirit Link to do with anything?"

"Obviously, your understanding of the Spirit Link is incomplete. But that will change. It will change when you learn who you are. I shall put you on the path," the man said, placing a hand on his weapon.

Senbonzakura was in his hand and releasing almost instantly, but even Kuchiki Byakuya's incredible speed was not fast enough. In a heartbeat, he stranger was inside his guard. Byakuya felt a shock of pain and looked down to meet the surreal sight of a blade buried deep in his body. The other was looking deeply into his shocked eyes. He placed his palm over the frozen shinigami's heart.

"Awaken," he said calmly, and he tore his weapon free.

The air around them flashed with power. It exploded through Byakuya, lighting his body from within. He staggered back, bringing up his weapon, but blinded by the blaze of power around him. He felt a change in his reiatsu that he couldn't begin to fathom. The dark eyes continued to burn through him…watching carefully as the power coalesced around him and Kuchiki Byakuya began to fall.

He had never encountered someone who moved so quickly…who attacked with such speed…who could overwhelm him in a single charge. He felt the eyes follow him as he dropped to the ground at his feet. As consciousness left him, he heard that voice again.

"We will meet again when you are ready, Kuchiki Byakuya."

The man disappeared and his reiatsu faded. Byakuya stared for a moment longer at the place he had stood on the trail, then his eyes closed and the darkness closed in.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Taichou?"

Byakuya stirred softly.

"Byakuya…Byakuya, wake up."

His eyes opened and he struggled to focus on his surroundings. The bright light of the white walls and the feel of the bed he lay in told him he had been taken to the healing center. He moaned softly in protest and squinted, trying to bring Renji's face into focus. The brown eyes that looked into his were filled with concern.

"You're finally awake again!" Renji exclaimed, breaking into a relieved smile.

He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it as a wave of vertigo sent his head spinning painfully.

"Renji," he gasped softly, "How did I get here?"

"You don't remember?"

Byakuya shook his head, sending another wave of dizziness through him. Renji pushed him back down and gave him a warm kiss.

"Lie down, will you? You can't just jump out of bed after being unconscious for a week."

The noble's eyes widened.

"A…week?"

"Hey…you look kind of pale. Lie down, Byakuya. I'll be back with some tea."

"Renji…wait!"

But his fukutaichou was already out the door.

Byakuya sat up slowly, trying to remember anything. He remembered the wedding…kissing Renji…the sounding of the alarm…

"Here, drink this," Renji said, reappearing with a cup of hot green tea.

He accepted the tea wordlessly and sipped at it, still trying to remember.

"Byakuya?"

He looked up at Renji.

"You say I've…been here for seven days?" he asked softly.

Renji nodded.

"You remember anything about how you ended up unconscious?" he asked.

"Not really…no," he admitted, "I remember little beyond our wedding and the sounding of the alarms."

"We went to the West Rukon," Renji said, sipping his own tea, "We were pummeling some minor hollows and you left because you sensed something stronger ahead of us. After we finished off the hollows, I sent everyone back and I went looking for you. I found you unconscious with your zanpakutou drawn."

Byakuya felt a flash of pain through his midsection, a warm palm resting on his breast. He looked down and saw no sign of injury to his body.

"There was no…injury?" he asked.

"No…nothing."

His eye fell on a strange marking over his heart. There had been a scar there before…one left by Gin's blade as it nearly tore the life out of him. The scar, it seemed, had been replaced with a darker marking…He looked more closely and saw Renji leaning forward, staring as well.

"Byakuya?" he said questioningly, "Byakuya, what is that?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted, studying it carefully, "I do know that it wasn't there before."

Renji leaned closer.

"It's a dragon," he said, reaching out to touch the small marking.

"Yes, I see that, Renji," Byakuya said with an edge of sarcasm in his voice, "what I don't know is how it got there."

Renji nodded.

"Being somewhat knowledgeable about your body, I can assure you that it wasn't there before the wedding," Renji said, stroking the marking with a fingertip.

"I am aware of that as well, Renji."

Renji gazed at him in confusion.

"So…you flash stepped off down that trail and you met someone who knocked you out and gave you a dragon tattoo?" he said, trying not to smile.

"Shut up, Abarai!" Byakuya snapped, pushing his hand away.

"Well," Renji went on, "what I object to is having to sit here for seven days, waiting for you to wake up. You scared the daylights out me, Byakuya! Not to mention, we've been married for a week and have never even been together as a married couple. I hear the reception was fun, though. Everyone had fun even though we were out destroying hollows. It's not fair, I tell you!"

Byakuya felt another wave of dizziness pass through him, He leaned forward and rested a hand over his eyes.

"You okay?" Renji asked quickly, "Should I call a healer?"

"No…I'm fine, Renji. I'm fine. I'm…just still getting my bearings."

"Rukia's been down here every day, coming to see you. And I've been buried in paperwork, thanks to you! It wasn't enough that the pre-wedding uproar kept us out of the office so much. I had to file all of your reports and mine…although…it felt kind of good, running things…"

"Renji…"

"I scheduled and ran the training…drew up and posted the deployments…"

"Abarai…"

"managed a few hollow attacks, put in requisitions…"

Byakuya leaned forward and grabbed Renji, silencing him with a kiss. Renji looked back at him questioningly.

"Arigato…for keeping things in order while I was unconscious Renji…and…I'm sorry I worried you."

"I'm sorry I was talking your ear off, Byakuya," Renji said, resting his head on his taichou's shoulder, "I get like that…"

"When you are worried," Byakuya finished, "But you needn't worry. I am fine. I do want to get out of here."

He started to get up, but was pushed back again.

"Renji, what…"

"Unohana taichou wants you to stay for one more night…for observation."

"They've had a week to observe me all they wanted," Byakuya said, trying to get up again.

"Hey, will you please just do what they tell you? For a change?"

He saw the worried look in Renji's eyes and nodded.

"Very well, then," he said, lying back against the pillows and closing his eyes.

He rested quietly, enjoying the feel of Renji's reiatsu brushing against his. Renji's head dropped onto his shoulder again and his hand slipped quietly into his taichou's.

"Renji," Byakuya said quietly, "It's wrong that you had to spend your wedding night alone…"

"I wasn't alone," Renji corrected him, "I was here, with you."

"That's not what I meant, Renji."

Renji chuckled softly.

"Well, there's plenty of time to make up for that when we go home. We'll have our wedding night…and our honeymoon," Renji said, his eyes blinking sleepily.

Byakuya found himself smiling at the thought.

"I look forward to that as well, Renji," he said, squeezing the hand that held his.


	2. Wedding Night

**Chapter 2: Wedding Night**

Byakuya stepped out of the shower and stood for a moment drying off, before wrapping the towel around his waist and moving out into the dressing area. He studied his choices and selected the light silk nightwear, colored dark red, then removed his towel and slipped into the embrace of the soft fabric, tying it at his waist. He spent several minutes, running a comb the long raven black strands of hair, then shook them lightly to loosen them. He looked into the mirror to be certain that nothing was out of place, then moved out of the dressing area and crossed the bedroom, pausing to open the large double doors that led into the garden.

Darkness had fallen and the night was bright with stars and a lovely blue tinted moon. The gardens were lit with the decorative lights put up for their wedding before the strange incident that had ruined their wedding night and left the dark haired taichou unconscious for a week.

Byakuya studied the moon, his mind going back over the events that had occurred that day. Although the wedding was very clear and detailed in his memory, everything that had occurred after the sounding of the alarms remained hazy. They had gone to the West Rukongai and had faced a sea of minor hollows. As they had fought the minor hollows, he had reached out with his senses and picked up a wave of stronger hollows, a wave of menos grande, then a strange, unfamiliar reiatsu.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the mingled scents of flowers and sakura. As body and mind relaxed, he remembered walking on a trail and coming face to face with someone. He remembered dark hair and eyes, angular features…odd clothing that was reminiscent of those in the pages that contained oldest myths in the Kuchiki family archive. Gradually, the memory returned to him.

"_Why are you here?" Byakuya asked finally, "Are you with the hollows that attacked the town?"_

_The dark eyes looked deeply into his. A feeling of warning passed through Byakuya and although he remained calm on the surface, his body tensed inwardly in preparation for battle._

"_I am not with the hollows," the other said quietly, "I was only using them to find you."_

"_You were looking for me?"_

_The other nodded._

"_You opened a Spirit Link."_

_Byakuya's eyes narrowed._

"_What has the Spirit Link to do with anything?"_

_"Obviously, your understanding of the Spirit Link is incomplete. But that will change. It will change when you learn who you are. I shall put you on the path," the man said, placing a hand on his weapon._

_Senbonzakura was in his hand and releasing almost instantly, but even Kuchiki Byakuya's incredible speed was not fast enough. In a heartbeat, he stranger was inside his guard. Byakuya felt a shock of pain and looked down to meet the surreal sight of a blade buried deep in his body. The other was looking deeply into his shocked eyes. He placed his palm over the frozen shinigami's heart._

_"Awaken," he said calmly, and he tore his weapon free._

Byakuya shivered and his hand rose to his midsection as he recalled waking in the healing center with no injury to the area…just the dragon marking where the stranger had placed his palm.

"Awaken…" he whispered, his hand rising to slip beneath the nightclothes. His fingertips brushed over the dragon marking and he felt a stirring in his reiatsu.

"But what was it he said about the Spirit Link? That I lack a complete understanding of it?"

But that made sense when Byakuya considered that the stranger was dressed in the livery of those in the old myths. Because the stories of the Spirit Link dated back to those times remembered only in stories…times before full and accurate records had been kept. The only reason they knew about those times at all was because at some point, an early Kuchiki relative had deemed the stories of value for some reason and had transcribed them into the first books stored in the archive.

Byakuya followed the garden trail back to the main walkway and moved down beyond his bedroom to the archive entrance. There was still a bit of time before Renji would return…plenty of time to slip down into the archive and have a quick look at the old texts.

He touched the panel on the archive door and waited as a deep click sounded and the door opened. He stepped inside and the door closed again behind him, sealing him away from the rest of the world and carrying him step by step, back in time. He past the first section, the place where he spent the bulk of his time recording current events into his diary. The shelf was lined with the diaries of every clan leader that had led before him.

The second section contained a huge collection of historical texts, gathered over the years to protect them the passage of time and from other threats. These included some family history and histories of other clans, as well as materials detailing events of the Rukongai and the living world.

The final section was filled with texts of the greatest value and significance, value that related to the connections to history, the notability of the ones who wrote them, rarity, or simply because they were among the oldest texts in all of Soul Society. They were there because there was no safer place anywhere for them. The Kuchiki family archive was protected by deep enchantments. They only allowed entrance of the clan leader, they protected the texts within from any threat, and they allowed the clan leaders to gain a first hand perspective on the history and myths contained in their pages.

Byakuya selected one of the books and sat down at a small reading table. He opened to the page he had marked with a touch of his reiatsu and began to read. As his eyes passed over the words, the enchantment of the archive wrapped around him and he was transported into the story of Teijo Kuchiki…the one in which he had found references to the Spirit Link.

_We have achieved the Spirit Link! I wasn't sure I would be strong enough. Not one in a million of us have the ability to open it. But open and accepted by us both, it will give us the power we require…_

His eyes scanned the pages carefully for the next reference.

_…bonded as we are now, two lives, two minds, two hearts have truly become one…one in life, one in mission, and someday, one in death. For such is the power of the Spirit Link that both are bound at the core…and never could one live without the loss of the other…it resembles, in its way, the resonance of shinigami and zanpakutou, except in being forged by individual souls who find each other and are awakened with just cause…_

Byakuya blinked and read the reference again.

"…and are awakened…" he whispered.

He realized suddenly that he was out of time. Renji might already be waiting. Sighing softly, he closed the book, resolving to return later…perhaps after Renji fell asleep. He returned the text to its place on the shelf and walked back to the archive entrance. The door opened before him and he felt the sharp return to reality that always struck him upon leaving the quiet environs of the archive. The door closed behind him with a sharp click.

Looking across the garden, he spotted Renji standing near the patio table, holding a glass of sake and gazing up at the night sky. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight. His fukutaichou's lean, muscular form was freed of the shihakushou and wrapped in silk nightclothes of a deep burgundy that set off the nicely browned skin and black lines of his body. His long red hair was loosed from the tie that usually held it back, and it fell over his shoulders and onto his back in crimson waves that always struck Byakuya as being quite hypnotic. The red strands moved softly in the evening breeze, framing the deep brown eyes that could darken with ferocity or melt the heart with their gentleness, features that could twist in fury or soften with affection, full lips and a lovely mouth that could shock the noble with its foul utterances or warm him with its tender offerings. Yes, Renji was a creature of extremes…a fact that Kuchiki Byakuya found more intoxicating than the finest sake.

Renji's eyes lowered and scanned the garden, coming to rest on him. The sensuous lips softened into a warm, affectionate smile. Byakuya felt his own lips curve slightly upward in response. He stepped onto the trail and followed it to where his life partner waited, slowing to a stop as he reached him.

"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to, Byakuya," Renji said quietly, his eyes betraying the hunger, the passion beneath them, "It figures you were in the archive, probably reading until your eyes were ready to fall out. I'm surprised you came up for air."

"Abarai," Byakuya said quietly, "we really need to sharpen your ability to read reiatsu. You are remarkably limited in your ability to sense it. I certainly wasn't hiding. I was quite easy to find, being that I was relaxed and in the safe environs of our home."

"Hmph," Renji huffed, stepping forward and slipping his arms around the noble, "It's not like I could follow you in there anyway. Monsters would probably pop out of the walls and devour me before I got four steps in."

Byakuya laughed softly.

"What a barbaric thought," he said, bringing his face close to Renji's, "I don't know about monsters, but you do look good enough for me to want to devour you."

His lips caught the redhead's and he nipped at them hungrily. Renji chuckled softly, parting his lips and deepening the kiss until the noble's smoldering eyes drifted closed and his body relaxed more deeply into his life partner's arms. Byakuya slipped his tongue between Renji's lips and gently caressed the one that curled lovingly around his, tasting of fine sake and something much sweeter. He pulled away, smiling.

"You haven't been at the cake already…" he murmured.

"Nah," Renji said, running his tongue over his lips, "just sake and a few chocolate dipped berries."

"Mmm…" Byakuya said, reclaiming the redhead's lips, "you were clumsy with the chocolate…let me get that for you."

He ran his tongue over the warm, sweet lips, then sank into the open mouth again, stroking the hot, eager tongue that met his and exploring every surface with slow, lingering touches. He felt a tremor move through the redhead's body and he pulled away, smirking.

"Perhaps we should save this for later…unless you want to skip dinner…" Byakuya whispered into Renji's ear.

Another tremor moved through Renji and he laughed softly.

"Well," he said, brushing a cheek against the noble's, "I guess I'm not that hungry…"

His stomach growled.

"You're a terrible liar, Abarai," Byakuya whispered, nipping an earlobe.

He turned and pulled out a chair, motioning for Renji to sit. Renji dropped into the chair and watched as Byakuya took the seat next to his. The server appeared suddenly and set their plates on the table. Byakuya smiled as Renji's stomach growled again.

"Go ahead, Renji," he urged the redhead, "eat before you drop from hunger."

"I don't know why your stomach's not making more of a fuss, Byakuya," Renji mused as he took a bite, "You're the one who was unconscious for a week."

"Hmm…"

"So, have you remembered anything more?" Renji asked.

"A bit," Byakuya answered, raising his eyes, "I don't know, however, if what I saw could be real, given that the man I saw ran me through with his zanpakutou and when I was found, I had no injuries."

"Nope," acknowledged Renji, "just that odd tattoo…that…and your reiatsu seemed sort of…different."

Byakuya's eyes rose to meet Renji's.

"My reiatsu was different?" he queried, "It's interesting…"

"Hmm, Taichou?"

"You don't need to call me that here," Byakuya corrected him.

"Sorry…force of habit. But what is interesting, Byakuya?" Renji asked.

"Renji, you aren't one who senses such things easily…and yet you picked that out…you noticed it. I just wonder why, of all times, you would do that then."

"I don't know," he said, taking another bite, "what I do know is that this is really good, Byakuya. Your staff is fantastic!"

"And it is pleasing to them to serve someone who so deeply enjoys their offerings. You know Renji, the staff is quite taken with you. You're quite the hero."

Renji tilted his head in askance.

"Why is that?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Well, you are friendly and casual with them, you appreciate their efforts, and you soothe the hard to please, tempestuous force of nature they refer to as 'Lord Kuchiki.'"

The redhead broke into a grin and finished the last of his meal.

"Really?" he smiled, taking a sip of saki, "You…tempestuous? Hard to please? Nah, I don't believe it!"

"Well, as I said before," Byakuya said, sipping at his sake, "you are a terrible liar, Renji."

The server reappeared and cleared away their dishes, then brought out an uncut section from their wedding cake, a knife, and two dessert plates.

"Aren't we supposed to freeze the top portion for our first anniversary?" Renji asked.

"This isn't the top portion. It is a section that was not needed at the reception, but it is untouched, and appropriate for our use."

Byakuya stood and brought Renji up with him. He motioned for Renji to take the knife, then curved a hand around his. They cut into the cake and Byakuya took a small piece in his fingers. He slipped it into Renji's mouth, smiling as the redhead gently accepted it, then licked the frosting from his fingertips. Renji took a small piece of cake and fed it to Byakuya.

"I thought you weren't partial to sweets," commented Renji as Byakuya licked away the frosting on the redhead's fingers.

"I am partial to you," Byakuya murmured, taking hold of Renji and pulling him into a long, slow, open-mouthed kiss.

"Hmm…" sighed Renji, "I think we've kept each other waiting for long enough, Byakuya. Dessert can wait."

He fastened his mouth on the noble's, thrusting an eager tongue inside and pulling him closer. Byakuya sighed contentedly, leaning into the kiss, then broke free to treat the tattooed throat with a brushing of kisses and long sensuous strokes of his tongue that traced the black lines down the length of his lover's neck and onto his broad, muscular shoulders. He pushed the silk fabric back, exposing the tanned skin beneath it.

"Not to disturb you while you're enjoying yourself," Renji whispered, "but shouldn't we continue this elsewhere?"

"You don't like the gardens?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"I love the gardens," Renji assured him, "I just thought we should go somewhere more private…that's all."

"The staff know not to disturb us. We can do as we will."

He pulled the tie at Renji's waist and pushed him back down into his chair.

"Ah," Renji chuckled, "I only meant that I thought that our first time as life partners…we should make love in our bed."

"Hmm," said the noble, looking down at him thoughtfully, "Very well, then, I won't make love to you yet."

He dropped to his knees in front of Renji, pausing to admire the powerful long legs, the slim, muscular abdomen and the already swollen erection that rested in red curls, awaiting his touch.

"What if Rukia comes through here?" Renji asked nervously.

"She's gone on assignment," Byakuya said, sliding a hand between the redhead's thighs and pushing his way in between them, "There's no one to disturb us…and no council spying…nothing to prevent us from enjoying each other…Renji…"

Renji's head dropped back and he sank down in the comfortable chair, gazing up at the stars and moaning with delight as Byakuya's mouth made its way up his inner thighs, kissing and tasting the tanned flesh. His hardened member twitched and a few drops of fluid leaked from the tip. The noble's fingertips caught it and rubbed it lazily around the area he was pleasuring. Renji groaned softly in protest as the noble's mouth released him and night air cooled his sensitive skin. He nearly jumped out of his chair when a hand replaced the mouth, teasing the flesh with gentle fingertips as Byakuya's tongue moved to pleasure him more intimately.

His chest heaving softly with excitement, Renji angled his head slightly to take in the intoxicating sight of the pale hands pushing his thighs farther apart, the proud, strong face, overtaken with bliss…dark eyes peering out from beneath long midnight strands of silken hair and half closed with desire, cheeks lightly brushed with color, the pink tongue sliding up his flesh…the pretty mouth wrapping around him, then moving slowly up and down. He found himself panting.

"B-Bya…w-wait…"

The noble's mouth suddenly released him. The next thing he knew, Byakuya was sliding onto his lap and wrapping his legs around the redhead, rubbing their hardened arousals together. His hands took hold of Renji's shoulders and he leaned close, whispering hotly in the redhead's ear.

"What was that you called me?"

"S-sorry, Byakuya," Renji panted, "I ran out of breath."

The noble's laughter felt like a cat purring against his chest.

"I'll overlook it…as long as you only shorten my name that way when we are making love and you are too breathless to say the whole thing."

He slipped off of Renji's lap and took his hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Perhaps we should move this to our bedroom…"

Renji held onto one hand and followed Byakuya back through the gardens to their bedroom. As they reached the entrance, Renji was swept off his feet and carried in a wickedly fast flash step, over the threshold, into the room. A moment later, he was thrown down onto the bed and a warm weight settled on top of him. He found himself breathless again as Byakuya descended on his mouth and face and throat, attacking them with an onslaught of kisses as his hands parted the redhead's thighs and the noble's hardened arousal was brought to his entrance. Byakuya tried to enter him slowly, but the impatient redhead gripped the pale hips and pulled them forward as his hips bucked upward. He winced and gasped softly at the sudden shock of pain, but then Byakuya's heated body was wrapped around his and moving against him.

Renji's head fell back and his eyes drifted nearly closed. He couldn't close them all the way or he would miss the beautiful sight of the noble's face, made over into a mask of pure pleasure as he thrust heavily into the redhead's powerful body. After a blazing exchange of hot kisses and powerful thrusts, a shudder passed through the noble's body and the pale lips parted in a gasp of delight. He thrust in deeply, emptying himself into Renji, then dropped down onto the redhead's chest, panting and moaning with pleasure.

He caught his breath slowly, letting a hand slip down to stroke Renji's still-hardened member. Renji thrust into the hand that pleasured him and met Byakuya's mouth for a slow exchange of deep, sensuous kisses. After a time, he pulled away, rolling onto his back.

A look of surprise entered the noble's dark eyes as Renji pulled back to look down on his life partner with hungry, passionate eyes. He loved looking at Byakuya like this…his lean, powerful body spread out on the bed, dark hair spilling out around his head, eyes sparking with desire, his lips curved into a smile…his hands gripping the redhead's shoulders, his thighs parted. Renji couldn't think of anything more sensuous and beautiful than that. He stared for a long moment before moving forward and claiming the hot, achingly beautiful body beneath his.

He laced their fingers together and brought their hands down on either side of the noble's head, biting down on the pale throat and sucking deeply as he brought their bodies together again. He had already been close before, but he held himself back as long as he could, enjoying the delicious friction of their entwined forms, the noble's soft, passionate moans, and his own deeper vocalizations. Finally, he could hold back no longer and a tremor passed through him. He thrust deeply into his life partner and locked eyes with him as the pleasure took over and he released into Byakuya's heated core. He wanted to sink into the dark, beautiful oblivion in those eyes and to never surface…to bury himself in that sleek body until he simply became one with it. He remained inside the noble for as long as possible, kissing the hungry mouth until their lips were swollen and pink from the heavy contact.

They laid together afterward, looking through the open doors out at the stars, resting and enjoying the view until they were recovered enough to move again. It was nearly dawn when they finally fell back into the bed, bodies still damp from bathing and too weary to even consider any activity beyond sleep. Even so, as Renji began to lose awareness, he heard the noble's voice break the silence one last time.

"Renji…aishiteru yo…"

He wasn't sure at first whether or not Byakuya heard his breathless reply, but the warm hand that found his told him that he had.


	3. Scion

**Chapter 3: Scion**

Byakuya moaned softly in his sleep and turned in Renji's arms. The redhead shifted slightly, tightening his grip, loathe to relinquish his hold on his lover's slender body.

The noble opened one dark eye, studying Renji's peaceful expression for a moment, then closed it again and relaxed more deeply into the warm embrace. There was no need to get up early. His only commitment was a taichou's meeting later in the day.

He let his mind drift and was treated to a reminiscence of the night before, an intensely fulfilling, if somewhat delayed wedding night. He was loathe to compare it to his first, but the simple glaring truth was that this time there was none of the awkward timidity, none of the extreme need for gentleness and politeness. It wasn't just that he and Renji had been intimate prior to their wedding, but that their whole association was marked with an intensity, a binding of emotion and purpose that brought them to a level of comfort with each other that he and Hisana had not been able to achieve.

He regretted it…but even then, he had accepted that his love for Hisana had been more like that of a friend for a much beloved friend, not grounded in passion, but in loving protectiveness. Once he found her, he simply couldn't leave her in Inuzuri. And because she was female and a peasant, it would have sullied her reputation to be brought to the manor or placed nearby without there being some understandable…some socially acceptable reason. He hadn't wanted to give anyone the idea he was keeping her nearby for illicit sexual purposes. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone thinking that.

Marrying her was a way to preserve her dignity, although being subjected to his family had been its own punishment. But even so, the way they treated her had never worn down her spirits. Hisana was stronger in heart than most people he knew, a characteristic that had endeared her to him. They had become very close…but he regretted that it came at the cost of having to wed, when both understood that if things had been different, he would simply have been her very closest friend…and she would have been his. They would have shared an association more like that between Rukia and Renji. It was love…deep, honest and not at all sexual. It had been easy to wait until their wedding night to become intimate, because neither had truly desired it. Simply put, it wasn't that kind of love. Still, even now, he knew they had done the only thing they could at the time.

Perhaps that was why he had been so affected by Renji's love for Rukia, for his hatred of the man who took her away, for his dedication to trying to surpass that man, and for his refusal to back down from defending her, even if the cost was his own death. When Byakuya looked at the continued ease and closeness the two shared, it comforted him. It was as though something of what he and Hisana had shared was still alive and well.

"What are you thinking about?"

Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself looking into Renji's. He couldn't answer, but a moment later, it became clear that he didn't need to.

"I know that expression," Renji went on, "You're thinking about her, aren't you? How could you not, right?"

"Renji…"

He paused for a moment, studying the knowing brown eyes that looked back at him with no hint of insecurity, nothing that approached jealousy. He was taken aback by that. Renji saw his expression and smiled.

"You don't have to keep it to yourself. You and I both have a past, Byakuya. If we didn't have that history, if we hadn't taken each of those steps, we wouldn't be here."

Byakuya let the words settle over him and sink in. Slowly, he nodded in agreement.

"The reason I asked what you were thinking…is because that expression, the one I saw on your face reminded me of the way I feel when I think about my friendship with Rukia. I just wondered if it could be that you felt like that about Hisana."

He nodded again.

"She was my first real friend," he told Renji, "We had nothing and everything in common. So it differed from you and Rukia in that we came from two different worlds…but in truth, our values were values shared."

"How did you meet her?"

A slow smile played over his face as he remembered.

"Few know about this, but some time back, the Kuchiki Council of Elders gathered and decided that I was to be named clan leader. They chose me for my power, but even then, they had concerns about my turn of mind, my unwillingness to adhere to rules and council directives. Simply put, I didn't want them invading my life and taking my choices away. And still, they were determined that I should bend to their will. They chose a bride for me and they pressured Ginrei to convince me to go along with the marriage."

"Let me guess," Renji grinned, "You told them you were not interested."

"I did better than that. I disappeared. I had no intention of returning. I disguised my reiatsu and slipped away from the manor. I knew I had to go somewhere that they wouldn't expect to find me, so I went into the toughest part of the Rukongai, having no plan beyond making my own choices."

"Byakuya…sorry, but…that doesn't sound anything like you. No one looking at you would ever mistake you for a street rat…and you're all about duty and not breaking the rules…"

"And that makes perfect sense," Byakuya agreed, "I was nothing like the person you came to know, because by the time you and I met, I had been broken by her death. The council used the situation to gain control…to ensure my obedience and my commitment to the clan rules and codes. Losing Hisana changed everything about me."

"So…before…you said you left and went to Inuzuri. What happened? How did the two of you find each other?" Renji asked curiously.

"I found a small abandoned shack, concealed at the edge of town and I decided to stay there. Of course, I first had to make it as comfortable as possible, so I went into town to buy what I would need for that. I knew I was being carefully watched. Anyone who is able to purchase items legally in Inuzuri is watched and observed to gauge the level of vulnerability. And because I was avoiding attention, I made no move to warn them off with a show of my power. I didn't dare. It would have brought the Elders down on me in seconds. The cost of that was that they believed me to be vulnerable, and a large group of them managed to corner me in an isolated part of town."

"And let me guess…you couldn't just blast them to bits because the Elders would have sensed that," Renji surmised.

"Yes."

"So…what happened?"

"I convinced them that I was not as vulnerable as I looked."

Renji blinked.

"Without releasing Senbonzakura? Without kido? Just…straight fighting?"

Byakuya nodded.

"Unfortunately, their numbers were great enough that I took damage. And after the last had fallen, I knew to disappear before more gathered. I found a nearby building and collapsed in the darkest, most remote corner I could find. And when I regained consciousness, I was in the home of the town doctor. He knew me on sight, but he made no contact with the Elders. He just treated my wounds and was ready to send me on my way. But as I was preparing to leave, I asked him how he found me. He told me that he hadn't…a girl had. He didn't know how to find her, but he gave me her name…Hisana."

"You fell for a girl you didn't even see?" Renji said, laughing.

"No, baka, it took a little more than that…I returned to the shack and made it comfortable and I spent the next several days trying to decide what to do next. I left the shack and walked down to the river. As I stood, looking back at the Seireitei, at Sokyoku Hill in the distance, someone spoke to me."

"Hisana?"

Byakuya nodded.

"She was up in a tree, watching. She said that I shouldn't let my guard down like that or I might end up dead next time. We ended up sitting in the tree talking all night. She didn't ask about my family or why I was there. We only talked about things in the present, about what we were going to do next. I don't know what made me say the words, but I asked her to stay with me…and she agreed. We spent several weeks living side by side, sleeping next to each other. She was my constant companion…but that was where it began and ended with us. We had no desire for anything more."

"Um," Renji said uncertainly, "then how did you end up married?"

"Necessity," Byakuya said softly, "As time went by, she could see that I wasn't happy…that there were things about my life that I missed. She was wise enough to know too, that running from things wasn't the answer, but she let me come to the realization myself. And when I finally told her that I was thinking of returning, she told me that it was the right thing to do. But she…said that she was worried for me."

He stopped and shook his head to clear it.

"I was going back to a life of safety and prosperity…and she was worried about me. I worried for her, too. I knew how hard life was for her, and I didn't want to leave her there. I also didn't want to return to the Seireitei, just to be faced with the situation I had left. So…before I went back, we married. And when I returned home, she came with me."

Renji's eyes widened.

"I'll bet that went over well!" he said, shaking his head.

"There was nothing the Elders could do. The marriage was legal. They had no choice but to go along with it. They held a larger, official wedding and they claimed to accept what we had done, but they never made things easy for her. One night I asked her why she came back with me…why she set herself up for so much grief. She told me that…"

He stopped looked out into the gardens.

"She told me that…her best friend needed her…and that she needed him…and that we were in this together. She said she had no regrets…something she repeated constantly even as she was dying."

"Shit," Renji breathed, "sounds like you two were as close as me and Rukia."

Byakuya turned to look at him.

"We were. So when she asked me to find her sister, I agreed without hesitation…and I promised to protect her as I had protected Hisana. Unfortunately, we had no idea of the toll her death would take on me…how the Elders would use it to overcome my willfulness, to bring me under their control, to twist my mind into knots and turn me into the person you so rightfully despised."

"Hey…that…was before," Renji said, pulling him closer.

Byakuya nodded.

"And thankfully, it is something that we have been able to leave behind us."

They rested quietly for a time, looking out into the gardens and enjoying the cool of the early morning. Renji let his chin rest on top of the noble's head, breathing in the blended scents of morning breezes, of sakura and their lovemaking. He sighed softly in contentment.

"I wouldn't have had a problem with you having really been in love with her, you know," Renji said quietly.

There was a long pause.

"I know that, Renji," Byakuya said finally, "and it is a relief to know that the truth is no longer mine alone."

Renji lifted his head and looked down into the dark eyes.

"You should tell Rukia," he said, leaning forward to kiss the half closed eyelids, "She wants to know more about her sister, but you know she's still scared to death of asking you personal questions like that."

"Nor do I feel comfortable answering them."

He looked up into the loving brown eyes.

"But…if you wish to share this with her, then you have my consent. Just…let it be between you and her."

Renji laughed softly.

"Okay…sure. And Byakuya?"

"Hmm?"

"Arigato…for telling me. It takes trust to share something like that."

The dark eyes blinked slowly.

"I trust you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji followed Byakuya out the front entry gate and paused as the noble turned back to face him.

"The taichou's meeting won't take long. I'll be back within the hour."

Renji nodded.

"I'll just make sure everything is as it should be at the office, then I'll meet you back here."

Byakuya nodded, then flash stepped away. He slowed as he grew closer to the Squad One Headquarters, not ready yet to shake off the memory of his wedding night, wanting to go back and wrap himself in Renji's arms and forget about everything else. But duty was duty…

"Hello Byakuya!" Ukitake said from somewhere behind him.

Byakuya waited as the Squad Thirteen taichou caught up and fell into step with him.

"I'd heard you got out of the healing center. I was glad to hear everything was okay. Rukia was quite relieved as well. I nearly didn't send her on to Karakura Town. I knew she didn't want to leave with you being unconscious…"

"Arigato, for your concern, but all is well now," Byakuya assured the other taichou.

Ukitake nodded briefly and the two continued walking and exchanging pleasantries. They were joined moments later by Shunsui. Ukitake smiled warmly as he joined them.

"You're up early today," he commented, "You are usually late for these things."

"Yes…well, I had proper incentive to wake early…" Shunsui commented.

Byakuya tried to ignore the comment, but it sent him back to thinking of waking up next to Renji and he felt a slight warmth touch his cheeks.

"Come now, Shunsui," said Ukitake reprovingly, "You will offend Byakuya."

"My apologies," Shunsui said, touching his hat, "I meant no offense, of course."

"None taken," Byakuya replied, blithely.

They climbed the steps of the First Division Headquarters and moved into the meeting chambers, waiting as the other taichous arrived. Finally, all had assembled except for

Hitsugaya taichou and Soutaichou. The taichous settled into their places as Soutaichou appeared.

"Looks like the youngster is late again," commented Shunsui.

Byakuya nodded silently.

As Soutaichou opened his mouth to speak, the doors opened and Hitsugaya taichou stepped into the room. He opened his mouth to speak an apology, but was stopped as Hyorinmaru suddenly released and Hitsugaya's ice dragon rose up over the taichous. It turned and lowered its head, sweeping toward Byakuya. It hovered in the air before him, staring. Byakuya stared back wordlessly as the other taichous looked on, their eyes wide with curiosity.

_So, it is you…_

Byakuya froze at the sound of the other zanpakutou in his mind. Senbonzakura stirred uncomfortably, but sent no thought in his direction. Byakuya felt a stinging sensation in the place where the dragon tattoo resided.

"What is the meaning of this?" Soutaichou asked sternly, "Hitsugaya taichou…recall your zanpakutou…You know this is not allowed!"

Hitsugaya furrowed his brow. Byakuya could not hear his thoughts, but he heard the reply.

_You don't understand…He's the scion…_

The ice dragon slowly faded.

"Very well…let us begin," Soutaichou said, brushing off the incident.

But Byakuya could no longer concentrate. He felt the brush of Hyorinmaru on his mind…and he felt the eyes of the other taichous stealing glances at him. As soon as the meeting ended, Byakuya flash stepped away, leaving the others staring after him. He abandoned all thoughts of meeting Renji, of their plans to spend the day together. He drew down his reiatsu and flash stepped to the back entrance of the manor, out to the waterfall and beyond, into the meadow. He found a quiet place beneath an oak tree and sat for the rest of the afternoon, Hyorinmaru's words ringing in his mind.

_You don't understand…He's the scion…_


	4. The Doragon Nikki

**Chapter 4: The Doragon Nikki**

It was late at night and Byakuya had already felt Renji's reiatsu pass over the area several times, but he couldn't bring himself to return. He kept poring over the few small details that he had…the stranger who stabbed him with his zanpakutou, the dragon marking, the mention of awakening…first by the stranger and then in the archive, and now the strange behavior of Hyourinmaru.

_Hyourinmaru said I am the scion…scion of what? Or who?_

_There is a connection to dragons…and Hyourinmaru is a dragon spirit._

_But how does the Spirit Link fit into all of this?_

He sighed heavily, wincing with guilt as Renji's reiatsu passed over him again. He reached out with his own reiatsu and brushed Renji's reassuringly. He was met with the expected rush of concern, curiosity and more than a bit of anger. He deserved it. He should have just gone to Renji immediately. Their marriage didn't mean that he had to give up everything, but it did require him to consider Renji's feelings at times like this. He did owe Renji some kind of explanation for disappearing when they had plans. He set his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands, releasing another long sigh as Renji approached. His life partner's reiatsu flared sharply and he waited for Renji to say something. When he met with just silence, he pulled his hands away from his face and leaned back against the tree, looking up into eyes that somehow managed to express both anger and relief.

"I imagine you deserve an explanation," he said softly, waiting for Renji's temper to flare in response.

He was surprised when Renji did not respond right away. Instead, he closed the distance between them and sat down at Byakuya's side. He stared off across the meadow, watching as several deer moved out from among the trees and began to graze.

"I heard about what happened at the taichou's meeting. I figured that it had something to do with that."

He was quiet for a moment.

"Toshiro came by the manor looking for you. He told me to tell you that Hyourinmaru refuses to say any more about what happened. He just says that you are the scion…and that was why he released during the meeting. He said that the scion must not be influenced by his words…so he shut down and refused to talk."

Byakuya turned to face his life partner.

"Renji…I owe you an apology. When you were simply my fukutaichou, it was acceptable for me to keep things of this nature to myself, but being that there is more between us now…I was wrong not to share my concerns with you. I will do so now, if you wish it."

Renji nodded.

"You know I do. When I was just your fukutaichou, I would have followed you anywhere and stood by you through anything. Being your life partner means that I'll still follow you anywhere and stand by you through anything…and it means that I'll trust you no matter what…and I will love you even when you make it difficult. I'm not going to lie to you. I am really pissed off at you. Not because you didn't show up when you said you would or because we didn't spend the day together, but because there is something really dangerous going on, something that has to do with that stranger, the dragon tattoo and the way Hyourinmaru acted…and instead of letting me help you, you disappeared. Now I could waste time yelling at you, but it wouldn't solve the problem or change whatever it was that made you turn away from me instead of turning to me. I think the better thing to do is just to tell you that I'll listen. Then I have to wait for you to make the next move. It is your choice, Byakuya. You can continue to bottle up what's happening…to isolate yourself and try to handle it all on your own…or you can open the door and let me help you. Maybe I won't be any more able to figure this out than you are. But the point of marriage is that you don't have to be alone in the things that happen to you…and I shouldn't have to feel like I'm being left behind."

Byakuya suddenly found himself wishing Renji had simply yelled at him.

He leaned against the warm shoulder and arm, tilting his head slightly and gazing out across the darkened meadow.

"I was down in the archive last night searching the old stories, mostly because there was something I remembered that the stranger I met said. He mentioned the Spirit Link. I didn't remember at first, but it came back to me after I left the healing center, so I was trying to see if there was more in the stories than I was remembering."

Renji looked back at him curiously.

"He mentioned the Spirit Link?" he asked.

Byakuya nodded.

"The Spirit Link is believed to be a deep connection between spirits who choose to share it, but it is very rare that one is able to actually open one. There are only a couple of very old tales that mention it happening…but the tales do not describe it or its effects in much detail. When I attempted opening the link between us, I was not certain I would be able to do so…and in retrospect, I should never have made the attempt to do something like that without first gaining more knowledge of it. Such experimentations are foolhardy and very likely to end in disaster when you consider the power involved in something like the Spirit Link," Byakuya explained.

"So when you went to the files yesterday, did you find anything?" Renji asked, sliding his hand down into Byakuya's.

Byakuya laced their fingers together and squeezed the hand that held his.

"Not much…just a couple of vague references. I was going to take another look after you were asleep last night, but I…became distracted…" he said softly.

"I distracted you, eh?" he said, leaning in and giving the noble an affectionate kiss.

Byakuya met his lips warmly, noting that the night was quickly losing some of its chill.

"Does that surprise you?" Byakuya asked, letting a slow smile play over his lips.

Renji shrugged.

"Maybe…Usually, nothing takes your mind off of work when something has your attention like that. So…if you wanted to have another look at the old stories, why come out here instead?"

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in the cool night air.

"I had thought to give the matter some consideration first and to tackle the research after. I actually could use some help if you are amenable to giving me a hand with it."

"Okay…" Renji said, nodding in assent, "but I thought only the heir could go into the archive."

"For the most part," Byakuya agreed, "but there is a way to grant temporary entrance to the archive. Come with me."

They climbed to their feet and flash stepped back to the manor, with Renji a silent shadow in his taichou's wake. Byakuya led him to the archive door, then slipped a chain and pendant around his neck. He leaned forward and cupped his hands around it, focusing for a moment. The pendant flashed blue and began to glow softly.

"Another may enter wearing this charm," Byakuya explained, "but it must be released by the heir before each entrance. I've never actually taken anyone in with me, but it will take me all night to do this if I try to go through all of these myself. Come."

He passed his hand over a small panel next to the door and the door slid back, revealing a dimly lit passage. Renji stayed on Byakuya's heels as they passed into the archive and the door slid shut behind them with a click.

"This place is a little spooky, Byakuya," Renji commented, gazing down the hallway.

"It is protected by deep enchantments," Byakuya explained, "They are necessary because the Kuchiki family archive is one of the greatest collections of gathered knowledge in existence. In addition to being bearers of great power, the Kuchiki's are also dedicated historians. When something notable is found that requires study and careful safekeeping, it is usually brought here. The archive itself is more than just a storage room. It is a place where texts can be viewed in full detail…almost though one had stepped back in time."

"Really?" Renji asked, raising his eyebrows, "Can you show me?"

Byakuya nodded and led him into the first room. Renji looked at the collection of books on the long shelf and looked back at Byakuya, frowning curiously.

"How does it work?" he asked.

Byakuya picked up the newest of the tomes and turned it so Renji could see the cover. Byakuya's image looked back at him in stoic silence. Byakuya flipped slowly theough the pages until he found one that suited him. Renji looked down and began to read the words, but a moment later, he looked up in surprise as he found himself transported back to their wedding day. He watched, smiling, as the two of them took their places on either side of Rukia and started up the aisle.

"Damn! It's like going back there!" he exclaimed softly, "That is amazing, Byakuya. But…are we really traveling back or is it an illusion?"

"It is an illusion triggered in the reader's mind by interaction with the text. Because you were involved in this event, because it was meaningful, the colors are sharp and things appear in full detail."

"So…if the stuff in these books comes to life, then why haven't you been able to find out what you want to know about the Spirit Link?" Renji asked.

"The old stories are not so completely drawn because we lack full comprehension of the times in which they took place. These are read in the conventional way until there is sufficient knowledge to bring them to life in our minds."

Byakuya took his diary from Renji's hands and returned it to the shelf.

"Aw…and I wanted to do some extensive research on the mysterious Kuchiki clan leader!" the redhead complained, smiling.

"Sometimes," Byakuya said, narrowing his eyes, "knowledge can be a dangerous thing, Renji."

They turned out of the room and continued along the passageway to the second door. Byakuya paused, looking in for a moment.

"This room is filled with historical documents, especially records of the four noble houses. It, most likely, will not yield the information we need, because the Spirit Link owes much more to older mythology than more recent history and, as I said, there are only a few references to the Spirit Link. These are all contained in very old myths."

"So…how did you know it was real, then?" Renji asked, scratching his head absently.

"I wasn't completely sure it was. But as the Spirit Link is widely believed to be real and there were references to it, I believed in it strongly enough to attempt it."

"Wait…you didn't even know if it would work?"

"It has never been done in known history…only in myth, but think about it, Renji. Even so, the myths are widely known…and they didn't gain the knowledge here. The knowledge is common, though the means of achieving the Spirit Link is not. This speaks to the link's power and importance in our history."

They moved on and turned into the final chamber. Renji was amazed at the sheer size of the room and how many old books lined the shelves. Most appeared to be in remarkably good condition.

"So how do you keep all of these from rotting away?" he asked.

"Enchantments," Byakuya said, stepping forward and starting down the first aisle, "There are deep enchantments that protect them from anything that would damage them. Even if the manor was destroyed, as it has been on a couple of occasions, this archive and the books within would not be affected. Also, the books and anything that enters the archive ceases to age while here. Even though time is passing, even we are not aging right now. It's a nice effect if you spend a lot of time on research."

Renji nodded.

"So where do you want me to begin? What should I look for?"

Byakuya's answer was cut off by the sudden arrival of a hell butterfly.

_Kuchiki Taichou, the Karakura detail reports sensing another pulsation in the reiatsu like the others that have been sensed, but they feel that the pulses are growing in strength. They are monitoring the situation, but require an officer to come and give the area a closer look._

Byakuya sighed.

"Hey," Renji said, "I'll go to Karakura town and take care of this and I'll be back before you know it."

He pulled Byakuya close for a warm kiss and flash stepped away. Byakuya turned back to the books and spent several hours moving slowly up and down the aisles, hearing the soft whispers of the past and scanning the shelves with a curious eye. He found nothing more than he already had and was making his way back along the corridor, when a soft glow from the historical text room caught his eye. He stepped into the room and moved toward the soft light.

The glow was emanating from an old leather-bound notebook that sat almost unnoticed between several other volumes. It was attached to a set of books rescued from a fire at the nearby Kuchiki home it came from. The small set of books had been deemed of sufficient value to include in the archive, although the notebook, at first glance, appeared to be an unfinished diary of some sort. He opened the book to study the pages and suddenly found himself, carried out of the archive, across the Seireitei…and deep into the desert of Hueco Mundo.

At first, he took it to be that he had started to see the story within the text, but he was quick to notice his footprints in the sand…indicating that he was affecting the environment. If it was an illusion, then it was a masterful one. Byakuya stepped forward and looked around, reaching out with his senses to find that there were no hollows nearby. He did see a cave entrance…and a soft light led him forward into it. Inside, a row of lit torches illuminated a long passage leading downward. He moved slowly into it, mindful of the reiatsu around him. He sensed no one in the room ahead of him and no hollows nearby. The temperature dropped as he descended into the cave, and Byakuya suddenly sensed a strong presence in the room at the base of the stairs. He reached the bottom and looked cautiously into the room. His heart quickened. The stranger he had met on the trail in the Rukongai stood looking back at him.

"So you have taken the first steps," he said softly, "That is good."

He took a step toward the noble.

"You found the Doragon Nikki?" he asked, gazing questioningly at Byakuya.

"The…" Byakuya began.

"The journal…" the other said, pointing to the leather-bound volume in Byakuya's hand.

Byakuya looked down at the book and then back at the other.

"Well," said the stranger, "aren't you going to read it?"

Keeping himself positioned so that he could keep an eye on the other, Byakuya opened the book and began to read. As the words reached his mind and the illusion engaged, he was taken back to his meeting with the stranger on the trail. He looked up at the other in askance.

"What is this? What does this mean?" he asked softly.

The stranger stepped closer, until his reiatsu pressed powerfully against Byakuya's. The noble started to step back, but found himself unable to move.

"You are the scion," he said quietly, "I am glad that you have come. Many others have come to this place before you. All were disappointments. They were not strong enough…but you…you are different. Your soul is a pure and unspoiled, your power considerable. We shall see how you fare."

"Why have you brought me here?" Byakuya asked.

The other gave him a tolerant smile.

"You have been awakened…but you have not yet completed the link with your counterpart. That shall be your next task. Keep the notebook with you. You will be returned to this place when the link is completed."

"First explain what this…" Byakuya began, but the room flashed brightly and suddenly, he found himself lying on the floor in the archive with the old leather-bound book clasped against his chest. He climbed to his feet, shaking off the dizziness and slipping the notebook into his pocket. He left the room and moved back out into the hallway. As he opened the door, Renji turned out of their bedroom, headed in his direction.

"So you finally came out, eh?" he said, smiling.

"You're back already?" Byakuya said.

"Byakuya," Renji said, narrowing his eyes, "it's almost morning. You've been down there all night! I was wondering if something had happened to you…and I couldn't go in and find you because this thing only works after you activate it."

He handed the necklace and pendant back to Byakuya, who slipped them into his pocket. As he did, his fingertips brushed the notebook and a shiver passed through him.

"So…did you find anything while you were holed up in there?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I'll try again tomorrow."

They walked slowly back to their room.

"So, what was the state of things in Karakura Town?" Byakuya asked.

"Oh…just those same weird power flares we've been noticing. There was one really big one while I was there. But when I looked for the source, all I found was a partially opened garganta, so if something was there, it went back to Hueco Mundo."

"Hmm…"

They passed through the garden doors and Byakuya smiled at the sight of the tea waiting on the nightstand beside the bed.

"How did you know I would come up when I did?"

Renji smiled and shrugged.

"Just lucky, I guess," he said, giving the noble a quick kiss.

Byakuya looped an arm around him and pulled him closer, engaging him in a much less hurried offering. Moments later, they were undressed and wrapped warmly around each other, all other things forgotten.


	5. The Honeymoon

**Chapter 5: The Honeymoon**

Byakuya woke to find his face buried in a sea of red hair…and not just red hair, but soft and freshly washed red hair that was attached to the most exotic looking creature Byakuya had ever seen. And as enticing as he found the lean, muscular tanned body, the intricate black tribal markings, the blissful expression, long dark eyelashes and full, warm lips, his scent and the feel of his skin against Byakuya's was enough to send him burrowing closer, loosing a rush of soft kisses onto the sleeping fukutaichou's throat and causing the brown eyes to open and meet his own sleepily.

Mmm…Byakuya…" he sighed, lifting his chin slightly to encourage continuation of the pleasant awakening.

Byakuya was more than pleased to respond with more brushings of his lips along the dark markings, followed by long, delicious strokes of his tongue. Renji's fingers sank into the silken black hair and he turned so that he rested on his back. Byakuya took the obvious invitation and moved so that his body rested warmly on top of Renji's as he moved from the tattoos on his throat down to the ones on his chest. As he worked his way slowly down the length of Renji's body, the redhead moaned happily and shifted restlessly as his awakening member hardened and started to throb.

"Hey," he said a bit breathlessly, "you know the cooking staff would be happy to bring you your breakfast early if you're that hungry, Byakuya!"

Byakuya answered by sinking his tongue into the redhead's navel and sucking deeply until Renji gave another impatient moan and his hands pushed down on his lover's strong shoulders, silently pleading for him to move lower so as to offer him some relief from his aching erection. Byakuya made a slow line of kisses from his navel, down his lower abdomen, then paused, lifting his eyes to meet Renji's as his warm breath brushed the flushed skin of the redhead's nether region.

As impatient as he was, Renji also knew that Byakuya wasn't one to rush things. He groaned softly as the throbbing increased…as though it knew that the means of achieving release was suspended only a hair's length from it.

Byakuya ran his lips slowly down the redhead's blushing flesh, brushing it with light, tantalizing kisses. And while his fingers pleasured Renji's painfully aching erection, his mouth moved down further and added to his pleasure, treating him to a slow indulgence of soft, wet strokes and pleasant suction. Renji moaned and panted, his head falling back and his hips rising to encourage the noble.

A long, slow lick up his length nearly sent the fukutaichou over the edge, but Byakuya's fingers held him carefully back from release, and he groaned again as he was denied completion.

As much as he was enjoying the slow, intense wake up call Byakuya was giving him, Renji was as impatient as Byakuya was patient…and honestly, there was a limit to the redhead's tolerance when it came to waiting for pleasure. Deciding enough was enough, Renji suddenly turned and toppled the surprised noble, stealing the upper position. His body ached for release, but as Byakuya fell beneath him, he found himself torn. It was difficult to catch Byakuya by surprise like this…and now Renji found himself in the unusual position of wanting to slow things down to enjoy the experience.

Byakuya had recovered somewhat from suddenly finding himself on his back and held down by a rather wild-eyed and very aroused redhead. Said redhead was now looking down into the hazy, dark gray eyes and amused expression, admiring the pale, perfect skin that shone with pre-dawn moonlight. He loved the fall of the raven black hair that was spread out in contrast with the bright white pillows it rested on, the light flush on his cheeks and throat, and the feel of his body, relaxed and stretched out beneath Renji's, waiting for his touch.

"Do you plan to hold me down and stare at me all day, or do you plan to do something else, Abarai?" he asked in a velvety whisper.

His fingers were laced with Byakuya's and holding his hands down on either side of his head. Sensing the approach of another sarcastic comment, he brought his mouth down on the beautiful, full lips and devoured them hungrily. His hands still restrained Byakuya's on either side of his head, and the strong hips ground into the noble's forcing a soft moan from his parted lips. Renji dove on his mouth again, thrusting his tongue deeply inside and tasting his own flavor that still remained on the tongue that curled so warmly around his. His hands released Byakuya's and slid down the soft, willing flesh, stroking, teasing and gently tracing its curves. His mouth slowly followed the path his hands had taken, and pleasured the noble with warm, wet strokes and searching touches that left him panting softly and writhing against the redhead's body, thrusting hungrily upward.

Smiling, Renji moved down and parted the noble's thighs, sliding between them and moving down to treat his swollen member to a serving of the same teasing treatment he had given Renji.

He knew justice had been amply served when the noble's hips rose up off of the bed and he moaned so loudly that Renji was sure someone would hear and burst into the room to see who was dying.

"Renji!" Byakuya gasped, his eyes senseless and glazed over.

The sight of that achingly beautiful body, the wanting eyes and parted lips was more than the redhead could stand. He buried himself in the noble, thrusting into his tight, heated core, moaning his name incoherently. Strong hands took hold of his hips and urged them to move faster, to plunge in deeper and deeper until he struck the pleasure center that brought Byakuya's hips sharply upward into his as the noble cried out in pleasure and released in wonderful, hot pulses between them.

Byakuya's body tightened, carrying him over the edge and into the mad waves of complete bliss. He held himself still and treated the noble to a shower of warm kisses on face and throat before falling away, stretching his body along the length of his lover's and bringing his head to rest on a waiting shoulder.

Byakuya's dark eyes blinked slowly as he dozed off again, holding Renji against him. The redhead snuggled more deeply into the noble's arms and watched Byakuya sleep for a while before letting his brown eyes drift close and surrendering to sleep, himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji felt a warm hand brush the hair away from his face and found his mouth being plundered again. He was still sleepy, but the feeling was so damned pleasant that he sank into the kisses without even opening his eyes, He could, on the other hand, have killed his lover for using such a disarmingly enticing method of bringing him awake when he was only doing so for the purpose of pointing out the hell butterfly that hovered quietly nearby, waiting for them. Groaning, he rolled over and listened as the offending creature yielded its message.

_Kuchiki Taichou, Abarai Fukutaichou, please report to Soutaichou as soon as possible. There is a situation in Karakura Town that requires a covert investigation._

"Damn! You woke me up for that, Taichou? I liked what you woke me for earlier, better," he moaned, sliding down under the covers again.

"There will be time for that later, Abarai," Byakuya said, a small cryptic smile teasing its way onto his face, "But we do need to check in with Soutaichou, so get up and shower while I go check in at the office. I'll meet you in the Squad One office in an hour…and don't be late."

"Slave driver!" Renji moaned, throwing a pillow at him.

A moment later, he found himself pinned beneath that wonderfully warm, great smelling body and having his mouth invaded again. He wrapped himself around Byakuya, tugging at his clothing, but the strong hands caught his and held him down tightly as Byakuya's heated whisper sounded in his ear.

"Get up, Abarai…before I have to take disciplinary action…"

Renji shoved him away playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, promises, promises! Fine, I'm up, see?" he said, rolling to his feet and stalking across to the bathroom.

Byakuya's eyes followed him for a long moment, then he sighed resignedly and flash stepped away. He was surprised to find that later, when he arrived at the Squad One office, Renji was already there.

"You must have taken my threat of disciplinary action seriously," he commented as Renji fell in beside him and they started up the stairs.

"No," Renji chuckled, "I just couldn't sleep without you to keep me warm and I got bored without you there to keep me company."

Byakuya found himself smiling at that.

They entered the Squad One office and were quickly directed to Soutaichou, who greeted them warmly and directed them to sit.

"You already know that we have been monitoring strong reiatsu pulses in Karakura Town. These power flares continue and have been joined by another oddity that may be related. Karakura University lies near the center of the disturbances. It seems to be a focal point, not simply because of the power flares, but because of the disappearance of several students and faculty members. In the living world parlance, they are concerned that there is a serial killer on the loose. But that is not what this is. With the power readings as strong as they are, I need two high level officers to take positions within the university and try to discover what is happening. Kuchiki taichou, you have been recommended to the university for an opening for an astronomy professor and Abarai Renji, you will pose as a graduate student and Kuchiki taichou's student aide. Arrangements have been made for all of your needs, but we do need to have you report there as soon as possible. I realize you had been granted leave, however, you are the most qualified for this mission, and it is of high importance."

"Of course, Soutaichou," Byakuya said respectfully, "We will leave at once."

Renji managed to contain his response until they were outside the building, but then descended into a half-hearted tirade.

"Does he know how hard it was to plan this vacation? And this isn't just any vacation, Byakuya. This is supposed to be our honeymoon! Soutaichou is just merciless!"

Byakuya put a hand on his arm and Renji turned and paused, looking into the dark gray eyes and reading the concern there.

"Soutaichou was worried, Renji. Couldn't you see it in his eyes? Something dangerous is happening there. He would have sent someone else if he thought they were capable, but we are the best match for this mission."

"Well," said Renji, following as Byakuya flash stepped toward the senkaimon, "I can see you as an astronomy professor. You know more about the stars and planets than anyone I know…but me? A graduate student? How did I get picked for that?"

Byakuya chuckled softly.

"I imagine that Soutaichou was offering me compensation for ruining our honeymoon. But there is no reason we can't enjoy some pleasantries while we are on assignment, Renji."

They passed through the senkaimon together and stepped out into the courtyard of a large estate home. Renji stared at the well-manicured lawns and the expansive gardens.

"Taichou, what is this place?" he asked curiously.

"This is where I stay when I come to the living world. We won't be staying here, but we needed to stop by and pick up a vehicle and some living world essentials. Everything has been gathered and loaded into the car."

"Already? We just got the assignment like…less than an hour ago. You must have your staff set on shunpo speed!"

Byakuya just smiled and led him along the tree-lined driveway to the garage. The garage door stood open and in the driveway was a small black convertible that just about took Renji's breath away.

"Nice wheels, Taichou!" he said appreciatively, "What kind of car is this? I've never seen one like it!"

"That's because it is a custom design," he said, moving around to the driver's side, "It's one of a kind."

"Can I drive it?" Renji asked, grinning.

"No. Put on the gigai that's on the seat and get in."

Minutes later, they were speeding along the highway and Renji was enjoying the rush of wind that blew through the small vehicle, threatening to tear away the hair tie that held back his hair.

"Is it okay to put on some music, Byakuya?" Renji asked, glancing over at the noble.

Byakuya observed him for a moment out of the corner of one eye.

"Go ahead, just…don't deafen me…"

The request was honored for about five minutes, after which Renji's enjoyment of the music outstripped his ability to contain himself and he turned the music up to a nearly painful level and sang along as they sped down the highway. Byakuya merely glanced over at him and shook his head, then turned his attention back to driving. It wasn't long before Renji noticed something odd about the car they were driving. They turned off the highway and were heading down a country road, past large fields and expanses of land. Ahead of them, the lights at a railroad crossing began to flash and the security arms lowered. Renji blinked. Byakuya wasn't slowing down.

"Um…Taichou, doesn't that mean we should…"

"Relax, Renji," Byakuya said, "Watch."

The train was already crossing in front of them and there was no time left for stopping. Renji's heart was pounding madly. He trusted Byakuya, but…

As they reached the crossing, Renji felt a very odd sensation pass through him…and suddenly they were on the other side of the crossing and speeding down the road as the living world vehicles were forced to stop and wait behind them.

"What was that, Byakuya?" Renji asked breathlessly, "How does it work?"

"It's pretty simple, really," Byakuya explained, "The vehicle is able to shift from a living world, material state to something of a shadow form as it passes through something. It then retakes its original state after it has passed through. It also has a feature that allows it to travel at very high speeds to save time."

"High speed transportation, safe because it passes through anything in the way…and all wrapped up in a beautiful little package…" mused Renji.

"Do you like it, Renji?" Byakuya asked, glancing over at him.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, grinning, "This thing is to die for, Byakuya!"

Byakuya slowed and brought the vehicle to rest on the shoulder of the road.

"Good," he said smiling, "because this is my wedding gift to you. I had it made to suit you."

He left the engine running and got out, moving around to the passenger side and opening the door. Renji stared up at him, unable to think of anything to say.

"Pick your jaw up off the ground and move over, Abarai," Byakuya said impatiently, "We do have somewhere to be…"

But Renji was out the door of the car and in his arms in a flash step.

"I don't know what to say, Byakuya," he sighed, "This car is…amazing!"

Byakuya laughed softly.

"You seem to spend a great deal of time in the living world on assignment. This seems like a more enjoyable way to get around while you are here."

"I'll say!" Renji exclaimed, capturing Byakuya's lips in a warm, gratified kiss, "Thank you, Byakuya. You didn't have to do this!"

"All right, enough time squandering, Abarai. Get in and let's go. We do have an assignment," Byakuya said, pulling away and slipping into the passenger seat.

A few minutes later, he found himself in extreme appreciation of the shadow mode feature that allowed the vehicle to pass through things. Although in perfect control of the little vehicle, Renji seemed bent on testing the limits of his new toy. Byakuya settled deeper into the seat and sighed, shaking his head.

There were some things about Abarai Renji that he really hoped would never change.


	6. Draco

**Chapter 6: Draco**

"Professor Kuchiki, come in," said the Dean of Science, "I am Tomi Hisoka. I have heard a great deal about you. It is nice to finally meet you in person. You came highly recommended."

"Arigato," Byakuya said, accepting the man's hand warmly, "It is good to meet you as well."

"I hadn't expected one so accomplished to be so youthful looking, Professor," the Dean said, studying Byakuya appreciatively, "but I have been assured that I will find few as knowledgeable about the stars as you."

"The moon and stars are a great passion of mine. I am fortunate to be able to share my knowledge of them. It is more play than work for me."

"That's as it should be," agreed the other, "Have you settled in?"

"Yes, I was shown my office and I have secured a residence nearby for the duration of the assignment," Byakuya acknowledged.

"And has your aide checked in with you? He is new to the program as well, but he also comes highly recommended."

"Yes, I have met with Abarai Renji and I am pleased with his abilities. We have actually crossed paths before on a research project, so we are already on agreeable terms."

Hisoka nodded.

"Good, good. Well then, I'll let you go so you can meet the other faculty. They are waiting in the faculty lounge. They've prepared a welcoming reception for you."

"Arigato," Byakuya said, smiling congenially, "I shall not keep them waiting."

He turned out of the main office and walked down a row of faculty offices to a large room at the end of the hall. As he stepped inside, a warm hand took hold of his.

"Welcome, Professor Kuchiki," the owner of the hand said, smiling.

He was about Byakuya's height with jet black hair and blacker eyes. His clothing was expensive and perfectly tailored. His grip on the noble's hand was firm and there was something of power about him that caught Byakuya's attention.

"I am Hasashi. I understand you will be replacing my former research partner."

Byakuya nodded.

"Yes…tell me, have they found any clues as to where he might have gone?" he asked.

The black eyes fixed on him and narrowed slightly.

"No," he said, lowering his voice, "but we'll talk of that more when we meet to work on the Star Research Project. I am happy to have such a talented stargazer working with me on this project. My former partner was skilled, but he…lacked something in discretion. I know that you will be an improvement, Professor Kuchiki. You are apparently so good at being discreet that it is difficult to obtain full information on your background."

Byakuya blinked.

"Did I not pass all of the clearances?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," the other said, gazing at him appraisingly, "with flying colors. And all of your references sang your praises. But don't mind me…I am always questioning. I imagine that's why I teach science!"

Other faculty members stepped forward to greet him and soon Byakuya was working his way slowly around the room, carefully connecting faces and names for later consideration. He thought it most likely that since the disappearances involved astronomy professors and students that it was likely that the source of the disappearances had a presence within the faculty. By the end of the reception, he was convinced that both the dean and his research partner were worthy of study. He made a mental note to study each in more detail later, then said his farewells and walked back to his office. As he reached for the door handle, a soft voice startled him.

"Professor…Kuchiki?"

He turned and encountered a young woman…one among the faculty who had caught his attention briefly because she seemed to be on the outside of all of the social activity. He had discarded her as a person of interest because she hadn't sufficient power to rate further consideration.

"Yes…Mayumi, isn't it?"

She nodded.

He studied her for a moment…the quiet manner, the soft features. Her eyes were a light blue, set against pale features and odd white-blonde hair.

"I need to talk to you privately," she said, looking around to make sure they were alone.

Byakuya nodded and motioned for her to enter his office. She stepped inside and sat down beside his desk. He moved to the other side of the desk and sat down.

"What do you need to speak to me about?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Hasashi…and the professor who was here before, Professor Naoki. They were working together, but they did not respect each other. Each was trying to outdo the other. Hasashi found out that the other professor had discovered something new in a nearby star system and he was about to go public with the information. He was furious. They fought and Hasashi stormed out of the office, swearing he would stop Naoki from publishing what he found. It was that night that he disappeared. And the students that disappeared all worked on the project as well."

"And how do you know all of this?" Byakuya asked.

"My boyfriend, Seiji, and I were graduate students working on the project. He was one who disappeared. He left me a note and a sealed envelope that he said I should protect. He told me to give it to someone who seemed strong enough to stand up to Hasashi. You seem very strong…like Naoki," she explained.

Byakuya felt a strong reiatsu trace on the envelope that she handed to him, but said nothing. She looked at him pleadingly.

"Look…I know you are new here, but there is something about you that tells me you are the right one to give this to. Maybe you can make sense of what's going on. Just…be careful. Hasashi is dangerous. Don't turn your back to him…not for a moment."

She rose and left quickly, peering down the hall to make sure she was not seen leaving.

Byakuya reached out with his senses and tried to identify the reiatsu on the envelope. It had been left behind by someone of considerable power. He opened the envelope and several things fell out. The first thing was a note.

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_The missing students have been imprisoned in the Valley of Dragons. When Draco flares, the time will arrive for the rise of the Doragon Tatsujin. The holder of the Doragon Nikki must be found and brought to the Valley of Dragons. There, he and his Spirit Linked will meet the Doragon Tatsujin in battle._

Byakuya slipped his hand into his pocket and removed the small leather bound journal. He opened it and read.

I was met by a graduate student named Mayumi who told me of a great dispute between Professors Naoki Kimio and Hasashi Gimichi. It seems that Hasashi is responsible for the disappearance of Naoki, but it will take some work to prove it. Mayumi provided a letter that told me where and when I will meet the Doragon Tatsujin, but I must first Spirit Link with my counterpart. This must be done before we enter the Valley of Dragons.

In the envelope with the letter, I also found a key to a safety deposit box and the name of a bank. I must go there to find more information.

"Professor Kuchiki?"

Byakuya smiled as Renji stepped into the office and looked around. Seeing Byakuya was alone, he closed the door and dropped down into a chair next to him, leaning over to give him a kiss.

"So I heard you were socializing," Renji said, leaning back in his chair, "Did you find out anything useful?"

"Maybe…" Byakuya said, looking down at the journal.

Renji leaned forward to look more closely at the journal.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, "Was it here?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It was in the archive. I think it has some connection to the power surges and the disappearances here. But Renji…it might also be connected to the stranger I met in the Rukongai."

"What?" Renji asked, narrowing his eyes, "How's that possible?"

"I've remembered that the stranger I met said that he was not with the hollows. He said that he used them to find me. He was looking for me because I opened the Spirit Link. Then…he stabbed me with his zanpakutou and put a hand here, over my heart. He pulled the weapon out and said 'Awaken.' That was when I lost consciousness…and he disappeared. When I woke, there was no injury where he stabbed me, but the dragon marking was on my chest. I saw him again, Renji…when I found this journal in the archive. I opened it and it took me to Hueco Mundo."

"It was an illusion? Like the other books make?" Renji asked.

"No…this felt real. I went down into a cave and the stranger was there. He said that he was glad I had come and he called this journal the Doragon Nikki. He said that now that I was awakened and had found the journal, I must complete the Spirit Link."

"The Spirit Link? You mean…"

"The same…Renji, you remember that the Spirit Link is part of our ancient mythology. It is poorly understood, but it has a lingering presence in our society. We know it exists and that it is a deep connection between resonating souls, but no one in recorded history has been able to open the link."

"Except for us…"

"Except for us," Byakuya agreed, "Apparently, when I opened that link, I attracted the attention of this stranger, this spirit being, and now he is leading me down a very unclear path. I was not certain what this was leading up to, but I may be close to finding the answers now."

He stopped, noting the angry look coming into Renji's eyes.

"You could have told me what was going on, you know. You should have told me," he said in a low voice.

"Renji," said Byakuya, meeting his eyes calmly, "I didn't know how the pieces fit together…how to make sense of the bits I had."

"But you didn't say anything. That night when I went to Karakura Town…I came back and asked if you found anything. You said you didn't. Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"

Byakuya sighed.

"I wasn't sure what was going on…or if it had been an illusion. I wasn't sure of anything."

"But Byakuya, that's when we need to work together…when things are unclear. I know I'm not as smart as you, but I'm not an idiot! And sometimes, you need someone on the outside of what's happening to make sense of what's going on inside. And you should know that, because you're the one I learned that from! Byakuya…something really strange is going on with you. It's…it's like you're not quite yourself sometimes, you know? It's worrying me. And I think I'm right to be worried."

He sighed and looked out the window.

"Renji," Byakuya said softly, "you are right. I should have been more open with you. I will try to make up for that. But things are quickly growing complicated. I have already found troubling information that connects the stranger, the journal and the disappearances here."

"What happened?"

"A graduate student came to me. Her name is Mayumi and she worked on the research project that my research partner and his colleague were working on before the colleague disappeared. She told me that the two had quarreled and then the disappearance occurred. She believes that my research partner is responsible for that disappearance. She gave me an envelope that contains a key to a safe deposit box and a note that speaks of the Spirit Link and the journal that I carry. Renji…it says that the one who carries the journal must join with his counterpart in the Spirit Link and to go somewhere the note referred to as the Valley of Dragons. It said something about when 'Draco' flares, and I think it refers to the constellation called Draco."

Renji looked mystified.

"Byakuya…you understand how crazy this all sounds, right? So…what do we do after we Spirit Link and Draco flares and we go to the Valley of Dragons?"

"Apparently, we are to face the Doragon Tatsujin in battle."

"The…Doragon…Tatsujin?"

"The Doragon Tatsujin…Dragon Master."

Renji crossed his eyes and let out a puff of air.

"Well," he said after a long silence, "I guess all the dragon references make sense."

"Not really," Byakuya corrected him, "Renji…we don't know what this Doragon Tatsujin is…if it is good or evil. We don't know the mythology of the Spirit Link or the journal."

"Yeah…this whole thing sounds like one of those old myths," Renji sighed.

"Yes, but we are missing some critical pieces. We don't know who or what the Doragon Tatsujin is…or why it comes now. We don't know what the significance of my 'awakening' is. We don't understand the journal, why it charts my every step and gives me clues about what to do next. Renji, I am being pushed forward, slowly maneuvered into doing what this stranger said, but the stranger, himself, is a mystery. We need to learn more. Tomorrow, I'll go have a look in that safety deposit box to see what is there. After that, we really need to search for some kind of record of the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin. I don't want to make any assumptions or any false moves. We could easily make a deadly mistake!"

Renji nodded.

"But, Byakuya, why wait until tomorrow to go to the bank? Shouldn't we go now?" he asked.

"Too late…Besides, we have an astrology class to teach tonight. Strangely enough, the syllabus calls for location and study of the Draco constellation. I'll be interested in seeing what happens with that."

"We could slip into the bank after class, you know, in spirit form…"

Byakuya considered the idea.

"Perhaps…I always hesitate to do that because it requires a great deal of finesse…"

"Are you saying I'm too clumsy?" Renji objected.

Byakuya allowed himself a small smile.

"Of course not…but your use of kido is not your strong point. We can agree on that, ne?"

"It's improving…"

"But it still needs work. Oh…well, perhaps this will offer you an opportunity to practice. You had best be cautious, though. The living world banks have touchy security systems," Byakuya warned him.

"Well, so what? I mean…they can't hurt us if we're in spirit form, right?" Renji stammered.

"They can't," Byakuya said, his smile widening, "but your exploding kido can!"

"Not nice, Taichou," Renji said scowling.

But he was quick to forgive as Byakuya's still smirking lips met his and made him smile again.


	7. The Dragon Zanpakutou

**Chapter 7: The Dragon Zanpakutou**

"I would like all of you to welcome Professor Kuchiki and his aide, Abarai Renji," said Hasashi, "Professor Kuchiki comes to us very highly recommended, and promises to be an interesting lecturer. But I will let him introduce himself."

He stepped aside and Byakuya stepped forward.

"As my colleague said, I am Professor Kuchiki. I have a lifelong love of the study of the stars, and the connection between the stars in our skies and the wealth of diverse mythologies that rest upon them. I am pleased that this course will give you an opportunity to view the connection between the stars and related mythology from around the world."

Hasashi slipped slowly away from the group as they moved out of the conference room and into the viewing area. He watched closely as the new professor worked the viewing equipment and listened as he outlined the mythology surrounding the constellation they were studying. As he observed, his eye fell on a pale figure watching from the shadows. He moved slowly in the direction of the other.

"Mayumi?" he said quietly, "What brings you?"

"I was just…curious," the white haired girl said, "I wanted to see how he would do on his first day. He seems to get on well with the students."

"Yes," said Hasashi, "he does seem to be both knowledgeable and skilled in communication…quite a talented instructor."

He paused for a moment, studying the girl.

"Mayumi…I want you to stay close to him…to Professor Kuchiki…and to Abarai Renji."

"You…want me to…"

"Watch them…just watch them and assist them. And…don't tell them I put you up to it. They…might misunderstand, you see."

"Misunderstand?"

"They might think you mean to do them harm. To the contrary, I need to be sure that no harm comes to them. So you will watch them?"

The girl nodded.

"I'll make sure no harm comes to them," she said, melting into the shadows.

"Yes," Hasashi whispered to himself, smiling, "…no harm…until it is time…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya…I never knew, first of all, that you could speak for so long without stopping and, second of all, that you could make all of that stuff sound so interesting! When you showed me the information before class, I was ready to drop off to sleep, but when you started talking about it…wow! That was…amazing…"

"Really, Renji," Byakuya said, suppressing a smile, "It was little more than putting the facts into story form…the telling of tales."

Renji nodded in understanding.

"I know, but…I never pegged you as such a good storyteller. I think I could have listened to you talking all night…and not just because I love you."

He turned to look back at the astronomy building behind them.

"Byakuya," he went on, touching the noble's upper arm and bringing him to a stop.

Byakuya looked back at him, curiosity in his expression.

"You know…there weren't many people in the Rukon…in Inuzuri, especially, who would waste time trying to teach someone like me about the stars, about mythology, history…anything like that."

Byakuya felt his breath catch as he noticed the mist that had descended on Renji's eyes.

"Stuff like that had no use in the Rukongai, you know? We just needed to know how to…find enough food to eat…how to band together, work with each other so that we could survive. Even the ones like Rukia, who could read and tell stories…we didn't have much time to spend listening. We were struggling through every day. But when I was watching you…it made me think of the way she would gather the smallest kids around her, how she would read them stories…or just make them up. She was…trying to let them know that they shouldn't give up, that they should believe that things could get better for them in the future. She wanted to make them feel…even for that little bit of time that they were safe, cared about…even loved."

Byakuya suddenly found himself pressed up close to Renji, arms wrapped around him, Renji's head rested on his shoulder and Byakuya's fingers stroking the somehow unbound and flowing red hair.

"Renji," he whispered softly, "I don't believe you've ever said so much to me about your life in the Rukongai. I knew it was difficult. I knew that, like Hisana, you must have suffered and struggled. But you are not in the Rukongai anymore, Renji. And no matter where you go from this point on…you will always be protected, cared about…loved."

He brought his lips to the redhead's and kissed him warmly.

"Renji," he went on in the same unusually gentle voice, "while we are here, I would be happy to sit with you beneath the stars, to tell you all of the stories I know…if you wish for me to do that. And when we return home, I would love to tell you the stories of our family, of the history of the Kuchiki nobles. You are a part of my family now. You should know about us. It will, at very least, help you to understand why we act as we do."

"That would be…really great, Byakuya," Renji said, lifting his head and meeting Byakuya's lips for another kiss, "I want to know more about you…and your family."

"Our family…" Byakuya corrected him gently, "You are a part of the Kuchiki family now, Renji. You married the clan leader…and as of yet, you do not fully understand the meaning of that."

"Hell, the part about being married has barely had time to settle in," Renji said, smiling into Byakuya's shoulder.

"Well, we got off to a rather shaky start, what with me being unconscious for the first seven days of our marriage. Add to it that this mission denied us a proper honeymoon…I can understand how the reality might not have fully settled in," Byakuya said, lifting his chin, "Perhaps we can do something to mend that after we return from the bank."

Renji groaned.

"Argh! Now I wish I'd gone along with you when you suggested going tomorrow!" he complained, "After all of the stargazing and a few of those kisses of yours, I'm aching for something other than a trip to the bank, you know?"

Byakuya chuckled softly and turned toward the convertible parked on the side of the road.

"Well, at least I'll have another chance to road test my new toy," Renji said, brightening as his eye fell on the little sports car.

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, climbing into the passenger seat, "If you will push the black button next to the steering column, it will put the vehicle in stealth mode. It will be in shadow mode and therefore, not visible when we arrive at the bank. We do not wish for the authorities to have a trail to follow back to us, ne?"

"Right, Taichou!" Renji said, pressing the button and starting the car.

Byakuya leaned forward and entered the bank address into the car's navigator.

"If you go into high speed mode, we can save some time. It will get us back home sooner," he suggested.

"That sounds good to me. Hang on!"

High speed mode turned out to be beyond Renji's wildest dreams. As the convertible shot down the course set in the computer, Renji found his reflexes affected as well so that even though they moved at blinding speed, he was still driving. The feel of it took his breath away.

"Wow!" he breathed, "Byakuya…you've gotta try this!"

"I have tried it," Byakuya informed him, smiling tolerantly, "though perhaps with less enthusiasm and a bit more caution. I had to road test it to make sure everything worked as it should."

"I see," Renji said, grinning, "and what if the shadow mode had failed?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It would have made a terrible mess of the car, anything it hit and of course, my gigai."

"Whew!" muttered Renji, "I'm glad it worked!"

"I appreciate your concern, Renji."

The car slid to a stop in the bank parking lot. The two shinigamis slipped out of their gigais and left the car. They approached the building and Byakuya quickly assessed the security system and even more quickly, disabled it.

"Hey!" Renji objected, "I thought you were going to let me practice."

"Later," Byakuya said, slipping inside and waiting as Renji followed.

They made their way through the lobby and into the back room, where they found the entrance to a large vault. Byakuya studied it carefully.

"It's thick steel," he commented, "on a timer, with an alarm set outside and sensors inside."

"Byakuya, you never told me you knew about this kind of living world security stuff!" Renji exclaimed.

"I learned about it from Shihoin Yoruichi," he replied, leaning forward to study the alarm system.

"You two robbed banks?" Renji queried in surprise.

"We had speed and dexterity contests to see who could break in fastest and most effectively, set off the alarm and escape pursuit. She called it training. I imagine it was training of a sort."

"Sounds like she was preparing you to join the secret mobile corps."

Byakuya chuckled softly.

"As if I ever would have allowed myself to become her subordinate! I had way too much pride for that. But Ginrei felt that the knowledge would be useful should I ever be abducted."

"Were you ever?"

"Was I ever what?"

"Abducted…kidnapped…"

"A few tried…unsuccessfully," Byakuya admitted, "and one succeeded in taking me through a garganta and stranding me in a cave in Hueco Mundo."

"Who did that? No, wait…"

"Yoruichi," they said at the same time.

"She seemed to think it was great fun, but I rather disliked having to bother with breaking kido ropes and working my way past the traps she set in the cave. I wouldn't speak to her for weeks after. It was only a short time before she disappeared."

He leaned forward and placed his hands on the vault door, focusing. His reiatsu flared briefly and Renji heard a sharp click. The door slowly creaked open.

"Just after she disappeared, I was taken while walking home from my division. I thought that perhaps she had come back…to tell me why she had left. I knew about Kisuke, of course, but I was surprised that she said nothing to me the last time we saw each other. It wasn't until later that I realized she had given just a hint. That last day before she left,

She stole my hair tie as usual, but after she eluded me and I began walking home, she reappeared and stopped me. She put the tie back in my hair and hugged me…and she thanked me, but she did not say what for. I just insulted her and stomped back home, but as I walked away, I glanced back and I thought that she looked sad. It made no sense to me until later."

"So what happened with the ones who tried to take you…after she left?" Renji asked as they stepped into the vault.

"I waited to see where they were taking me. When I realized that they were not taking me to her, I overpowered them and left them tied in their own bindings."

Renji chuckled softly.

Byakuya searched the walls of the vault and found the box with the number that matched the key. He removed it from its recess in the wall and carried it out of the vault to a small table. He set it down and slipped the key into the keyhole, turning it with a click. The box opened and Byakuya reached in and removed a handful of folded papers. He opened them and perused them quickly. His eyes narrowed and he made a soft sound of surprise.

"Renji, these are private notes, taken from Naoki's personal journal."

Renji leaned over Byakuya's shoulder as he read.

"I have been carefully watching the constellation Draco. It is, as the old tale said, showing signs that the stars within it are building up energy. If it is as it says in the myths, when the flares occurs, the spirit of the Doragon Tatsujin will appear in the Valley of Dragons to face the chosen defender, the one carrying the Doragon Nikki, the one marked by Draco's own hand. Astride his chosen dragon, the defender will clash with the Doragon Tatsujin to win dominance or to fall and allow the Doragon Tatsujin to consume the power of all dragons and to send them across the length and breadth of the world, destroying everything in their path and stealing the life force from the people they slaughter."

"Shit!" muttered Renji, "But Byakuya, that doesn't make sense! There are no dragons here!"

Byakuya shook his head.

"He wasn't referring to physical dragons. He was referring to dragon type zanpakutous…like Hyourinmaru. There are many others with dragon type zanpakutous. So somehow, he would take control of them."

"Kind of like how you affected Hyourimaru?" Renji asked.

"Yes…which suggests that may play into how I will fight him. We will meet in the Valley of Dragons and our battle will allow the victor control of those dragon type zanpakutous."

"And if you win, things go back to normal…and if not, he makes the dragon zanpakutous attack the living world?"

Byakuya nodded. He frowned down at the papers, rereading a section.

"Astride his chosen dragon…" he mused, "This suggests that dragon zanpakutous will be used in our battle."

"But you don't wield a dragon zanpakutou!" Renji objected.

"But I communicate with them," Byakuya said, touching the dragon marking on his chest, "ever since I received this."

"So…you choose any dragon zanpakutou…"

"Renji, I think I understand. I don't think that I choose a zanpakutou…I think my chosen…my Spirit Linked…will be the one."

Renji shook his head.

"But first of all, you linked with me, and second, I don't wield a dragon! I don't think the skeletal snake would be mistaken for one either. It's a snake…"

Byakuya's brow furrowed.

"That leaves much to think about."

He closed the safety deposit box and returned it to its recess, then slipped the papers into his pocket. As he did, his fingers touched the Doragon Nikki and he pulled the journal out and opened it.

I know now that I am going to be the defender that Naoki's notes referred to. I am to link with my counterpart and to go to the Valley of Dragons. There, we will face the Doragon Tatsujin, and so to protect our world from the destruction he plans. I am closer to the truth, but I need to link with my counterpart…and I need to search for more about the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin.

"I still say that I don't wield a dragon!" insisted Renji.

Byakuya sighed.

"Well at least we've gained a bit of ground. We can go home and think about this. We need to think of where we might search for the information we need. I wonder where Naoki found the information he referred to…"

Byakuya paused, lifting his eyes and extending his senses.

"Someone is coming."

He closed the door to the vault and reset the sensors and alarms, then the two shinigamis returned to the front of the bank. As they passed into the lobby, they spotted dark figures, working their way across the room. One of the men stumbled over a sensor, setting off the alarm.

"Idiots!" muttered Renji, heading for the door.

Byakuya turned back and threw a binding kido spell at them, sending them to the floor and leaving them struggling and cursing.

"Hey! What the hell kind of security system is this? How do they do that?"

Renji turned and followed Byakuya out the door, laughing heartily.

"I'll bet that's the last bank they rob!" he grinned, "From now on, they'll be too afraid of the 'new security technology' to even try!"


	8. Beneath the Stars

**Chapter 8: Beneath the Stars**

Byakuya leaned back against a sakura tree and wrapped his arms around Renji from behind. Renji rested the back of his head on the noble's warm shoulder and gazed up into the night sky.

"So where would you like me to begin, Renji?" Byakuya asked, running a hand down the redhead's arm and lacing their fingers together.

"How about that one," Renji said, pointing, "That looks pretty interesting. What is it called?"

"Well, that depends on where you are. We know it as Hokutoshichisei, the Great Dipper. It is made up of the seven brightest stars of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. In other parts of the world, it is known as the Plough or Starry Plough, the Butcher's Cleaver, the men's wagon or Great Wagon, the Saucepan or The Seven Great Sages."

"Whew!" sighed Renji, "and I thought I was asking an easy question! Saucepans and cleavers? Ploughs, wagons and sages?"

"Different cultures often see the same thing with varied viewpoints. In any case, if you follow the two stars farthest from the handle, you can find Polaris, the North Star. It is useful in keeping oneself oriented and was used by slaves in North America to find their way to freedom."

"Byakuya, where did you learn all this? Was it in school or did you have a mentor or something?" Renji asked.

"Actually, I learned from the books in our archive. As you know, my parents died while I was still a child and Ginrei was my guardian. He was gone for long stretches and when Shihoin Yoruichi wasn't around to irritate me, I was left with time not devoted to training or other learning. So I would sit near the waterfall at home, looking at the stars. I found a book in the archive on the constellations and learned to find them, then found several others on the related mythologies from around the world. It was a way of keeping busy, I suppose."

"So…you just learned it on your own…but did you ever talk to your friends about them? I mean, it's so interesting to hear you talk about them. They must have really…"

He stopped, noticing the odd look Byakuya was giving him.

"Byakuya…"

The noble gazed at him silently for a moment, then rested his face against Renji's unbound hair.

"Well…I love hearing you talk about it. And someday, you can tell your children about them."

"You mean, our children?" Byakuya whispered.

Renji blinked and then smiled. He nuzzled closer to Byakuya.

"Yeah…our children. So…how is that going to work? I mean, Kisuke's explanation seemed to satisfy the council in the end, but…"

"But you were too unnerved to discover for yourself what was in his notes. Renji…we don't need to talk about that now. I am very satisfied having married you. We don't need to rush into having children. We can wait until you really want to move forward with it. Your comfort with it is every bit as important as mine."

Renji's laugh vibrated warmly against his chest.

"Byakuya, when I married you, I was telling you that I am ready…for all of it. I wouldn't have been able to do what I did if I wasn't. We're married now. Kids…that's like the next logical step, isn't it?" Renji asked.

"Yes, Renji, but it's a pretty big step."

"Well, yeah, but I think I'm ready."

Byakuya pulled away and turned to face Renji.

"Are you sure of that?" he asked, his eyes serious.

"As sure as I can be without knowing how it is going to work. I mean it's not like one of us has to get pregnant, right?" Renji asked, smiling.

Byakuya gazed back at him silently.

"Byakuya…you mean…one of us has to get pregnant?" he asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"I take it then that you aren't as ready for that discussion as you thought," Byakuya said quietly, "Well as I said, it isn't something we need to think about now. We have plenty of time to think about it."

"Well, honestly, I don't know I'll be so comfortable with the idea…but …"

Byakuya placed his mouth on Renji's and kissed the words away.

"I said that it can wait. I gave myself to you without conditions, Renji. There are no time limits in our life together. Everything will take place in the time we choose for it, and no sooner. Let us not speak of this for a time. Let us commit not to speak of it again until we reach our first anniversary. I want to enjoy time with just you for a while. Is this acceptable to you?"

"You…are you sure?" Renji asked, narrowing his eyes, "I mean, just a few weeks ago, you…"

"I know. I was confused…about many things. And I was…afraid. I feared that you would leave me, Renji," Byakuya admitted.

Renji blinked in surprise.

"Byakuya, why would you ever think that? I never even thought about leaving you. I love you. I've loved you for a really long time! Why would you doubt that?"

"I never doubted your love," Byakuya explained, "but I took your reticence to mean that you weren't sure it was love…that you had doubts about whether or not you would want to stay with me. Though I long for permanence, the very thought seemed to terrify you."

Renji nodded.

"Okay…I admit I was worried that things might not work out between us, but when I said that, I didn't see myself leaving you. Byakuya, I saw it the other way around! I thought you would end up regretting choosing me. I thought that I would disappoint you."

"You have never been a disappointment to me, Renji…despite what I might have told you in the past. When I said those things to you…I…"

"Byakuya…I know you were different then. You didn't really think that."

"No…" Byakuya admitted, "I didn't. More often, I was merely disappointed in myself. But I wasn't able to deal with those feelings…not at all. Because if I was a disappointment, then I would lose the people around me. And although the ones around me at the time were not the best of people, I judged it better than being alone. You see, Renji, that is what made me fear that you would leave me. Whether by death or by choice, or even by necessity…I am always being left behind. So when I gave myself to you, I did so already fearing that you would leave me…as I had been left before."

Renji felt tears burning in his eyes. It was so sad to learn how alone he had been…that he had really been very isolated growing up. He hadn't had a friend like Rukia had been to Renji…or like any of the ones who had been lost. It was so lonely. And although Renji felt sad thinking back on the friends they had lost in Inuzuri, at least there had been friends. Byakuya had been blessed with nobility and status, but it seemed to Renji that all it had really done was leave his taichou isolated and lonely.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Renji," Byakuya said, nuzzling him warmly, "My early life may have been lonely, but it led me to you. And given that, I would not trade a day of it…an hour…not even a moment."

"But you lost so many people who you loved!" objected Renji, "You can't tell me that you wouldn't go back and stop your parents from dying if you had the power."

"No…" Byakuya whispered, "That isn't what I mean. I just mean that I look back now and I don't feel so bad about the way things were. I was on a pathway that was difficult, but it led me to you…and it was all worth it because of that. Aishiteru yo."

Renji turned and pushed Byakuya back against the sakura tree, invading his mouth forcefully with a hungry tongue. Byakuya's met his with equal intensity and pressure and he found himself grateful that they were out of their gigais and so would not be spotted by any nearby humans…although it wasn't likely they would be out in such a remote place. He let Renji push him down into the soft grass beneath the tree and to slowly relieve him of his clothes, while also removing his own. His tanned hands moved warmly over Byakuya's body with such love and respect that it nearly brought the noble to tears. It was always this way with Renji. He never forgot that Byakuya was his taichou, even though the man was also his spouse and lover. No one had ever touched him the way Renji did…with such care and attention to his emotions. He never let on to others that he even had emotions. But with Renji, he could let go of his tight controls and really be himself.

"Renji!" he moaned into the redhead's mouth, "Renji…aishiteru yo!"

Renji's mouth attacked the soft skin of his throat, sending chills down his spine and making his hungry member twitch longingly. He fell on the powerful chest, tasting and teasing with mouth and searching fingertips. Byakuya caught his breath, and promptly had it taken away again as he looked up and took in the sight of Renji lifting his upper body away and tossing his head back so that he was surrounded in stars and enchanting swirls of red hair. Byakuya placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders, holding him there and letting a smile play over his face.

Renji grinned down at him.

"Byakuya, I think you're eyes are as bright as those stars up there!" he exclaimed.

Byakuya let him fall slowly down again, settling warmly on the noble's bare chest and dropping his head onto a soft shoulder.

"The stars are beautiful out here," Byakuya said, turning to bury his face in the tumbled red hair, "but nothing is more beautiful than seeing your face surrounded by them."

"Damn, Byakuya! When you say stuff like that, it makes me feel like I can't breathe!"

"Then let's become breathless together!" whispered Byakuya, taking hold of Renji and rolling the startled redhead onto his back.

He plunged into Renji's heated mouth, sucking at the redhead's lips and tongue. His hips thrust deeply into Renji's, making him moan into Byakuya's mouth, panting his name and threading his fingers through his taichou's black hair.

"Mmm, Bya…Bya…ah…" Renji moaned, arching his back and thrusting his hips upward.

He parted his thighs and grabbed Byakuya's hips, dragging them more deeply into his own. Byakuya shifted slightly, bringing his thickened arousal to the redhead's entrance and teasing him gently, forcing another heated moan from his lover's lips. He entered the redhead with tantalizing slowness, leaving Renji, panting and flushed. Renji's eyes opened and locked on his, looking wild and star-touched under the night sky. Byakuya gazed warmly down at the redhead's exotic, beautifully stricken features and began to move, biting down on the tattooed throat and sucking deeply. Renji's fingers tangled into his hair and dragged the noble's mouth back up to meet his. The sleek, tattooed body danced against his, the lithe hips rising to meet him thrust for thrust.

Renji threw his head back, moaning loudly as hot seed exploded out of him. He smiled dizzily up at Byakuya, surrounded in about twice as many stars as there should have been. The noble thrust in deeply, trembling with pleasure as he released inside the redhead. He let his body drop onto Renji's, sighing contentedly and capturing his mouth in a warm flurry of sated kisses. He rested contentedly on his lover's chest, still absently tracing the lovely tattoos with his fingertips.

Renji watched as Byakuya's fingers moved more and more slowly and then stopped. The dark eyes were closed and his face looked relaxed and blissful, a sight that Renji was proud to be one of the only ones to ever see. There were few sights he considered as beautiful as the sight of Kuchiki Byakuya asleep in his arms. And here he had an even more wonderful sight…Kuchiki Byakuya completely relaxed and sleeping in his arms under a sky filled with stars. He was glad now that they had come out away from the lights of Karakura Town as Byakuya had suggested, so that the light from the stars would shine brighter for them.

"Byakuya," he whispered, "aishiteru yo."

Byakuya stirred against his chest, then settled again. Renji smiled and held his lover's warm body against his, enjoying the scents of grass, sakura and their lovemaking. He kissed Byakuya's forehead lightly and decided that it wasn't so bad not having gone away somewhere for their honeymoon. There were plenty of beautiful places close to home that they could enjoy…like this.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya's eyes blinked open and he found himself looking into Renji's sleepy brown orbs.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked, shifting and stretching.

"Ah…I don't know, maybe an hour…two…who knows?" Renji sighed.

Byakuya pulled free of Renji.

"We should get back. It's very late and we have to work tomorrow…or is it today?"

"Yeah, all right," Renji said, reaching for his clothes.

They dressed slowly and then stood beneath the stars, exchanging deep, warm kisses, until Renji spotted something odd in the sky and pulled away, staring.

"Byakuya? Byakuya, what's that?" he said, pointing.

Byakuya turned and followed his gaze. His eyes widened.

"Renji…it's Draco…some of the stars…they're pulsing."

Byakuya felt an odd tightening in his chest, then power beginning to build inside him. He stepped back, staring as white light flared brightly around him.

"Byakuya, what's happening?" Renji yelled, stepping back.

"I don't know!" Byakuya gasped softly, "It isn't me. I'm not controlling this!"

"Byakuya…the dragon marking! It's glowing!" shouted Renji over the suddenly rising wind.

Byakuya felt a flash of dizziness and a sense of being overcome. The air around him went dark and everything seemed to explode into blinding whiteness. He felt his hand take hold of Senbonzakura and heard Renji calling his name. There was the hiss of a flash step and he heard Renji gasp in pain. Slowly, Byakuya's vision cleared.

He stood flush with the front of Renji's taut, shaking form…with Senbonzakura buried deeply in his midsection. The startled brown eyes were wide and frightened, staring into his as though he had become a monster.

And so he had…

He felt another presence moving him, raising his hand to Renji's breast…and then the word that came from his lips, but was not spoken in his voice.

_"Awaken…"_

Still looking into Renji's hazed, shocked eyes, he pulled his weapon free.


	9. Clash of Dragons

**Chapter 9: Clash of Dragons**

Senbonzakura tore free of Renji's body, sending the stunned shinigami to his knees with a stricken, guttural cry. Byakuya remained still and silent in front of him, holding Senbonzakura ready. Bright red light flared around Renji's body, and the deep, pained cries continued to issue from his parted lips. His hand moved slowly to the sheath where Zabimaru was housed. He placed his hand on the hilt and looked up at the expressionless eyes of his taichou. Renji's eyes glowed as red as the rest of him. His cry turned to an enraged roar as he pulled Zabimaru free.

He sent the jagged blades of his shikai soaring in Byakuya's direction. The empty gray eyes lifted as the blades closed in and at the last moment, Senbonzakura rose and blocked the incoming attack. The power of Renji's red rage sent his taichou sliding backwards, creating proper fighting distance between them.

Byakuya's head bowed slightly and pink light rose around him. Across from him, the red light continued to flare and dance around Renji.

"Ban kai, Hihio Zabimaru!"

The ground shook violently and the shriek of Renji's skeletal snake shattered the air. The snake rose up above him and swirled around him once, screeching. Then it turned and shot toward Byakuya, its great mouth opened wide.

"Hikotsu Taiho!"

The blaze erupted from the mouth of the skeletal snake and enveloped him. He disappeared into the redness as the skeletal snake slammed into him, forcing him into the ground and pelting him with a shower of bony segments. But as the segments rose and the snake began to retake its form, there was an explosion of pink light and petal blades. It wrapped around the skeletal snake and raised it into the air above the two combatants. The snake disappeared into the sphere of petal blades…and the sphere itself began to rotate, to turn…slowly at first, then faster and faster as the two shinigamis faced each other with raised swords and blazing reiatsu. They charged at each other, Byakuya wrapped in pink light and Renji draped in redness. Swords raised, they closed the distance, their eyes locked, their bodies racing headlong for each other. They came together in a blinding rush of slashes and parries. Their reiatsu flaring brighter that a small sun, they threw themselves against each other. And with each release of power, the sphere rotated with more speed…and it began to mingle pink with red light. It fed on the released power of the combatants below it, turning and swelling until the power within it could no longer be contained.

"Doragon Hanabira," whispered Byakuya.

"Doragon Nirro Dokuro," whispered Renji.

The sphere exploded, momentarily lighting the two bodies beneath it that continued to strain against each other. They shined against the blossoming wave, then were swallowed up by it, and they disappeared into the depths of it. Petals and bones rained down in shattered fragments, as above them, two huge, glowing forms appeared.

Dragons…

The first resembled the skeletal snake, but the snake's long body had been remade with lovely scarlet bones, wings and powerful legs with long, sharp talons. The snake's head looked much the same, but for the crimson horns and shining autumn red eyes.

The second dragon glowed, pink and ethereal, a graceful long necked creature, sleek scaled over thick skin and fine bones. As the two shinigamis watched from below, the dragon shimmered and dissolved into a swirl of petals that reformed into the petal dragon and roared and beat its wings, waiting for its wielder's command.

"Seirei Setsuzoku, Hanabira," breathed Byakuya.

The petal dragon bowed its head slightly, then launched itself toward the red skull dragon. The red dragon lowered its head and shot forward, hurtling toward the other with blinding speed. The closed on each other, then at the last moment, altered course slightly, slashing at each other. They circled each other, screeching in defiance, then charged again and crashed against each other. The red dragon slashed at the petal dragon, then froze in surprise as the pink dragon dissolved and formed again behind him. He turned, screeching and slashing again and fell away as the petal dragon followed his move and streaked alongside him. The petal dragon curved his long, graceful neck around the red dragon's. It forced the red dragon down into a spiral and both fell toward the ground. They came down and landed hard, shaking the earth beneath the shinigamis' feet. The petal dragon glowed with pink light and held the red dragon still. The red dragon's eyes still flared and it roared defiantly. But the petal dragon held it securely in place and regarded his master with a calm, inquisitive eye.

Byakuya stepped forward, his body still wrapped in pink light. He approached Renji, slipping his weapon back into its sheath. Renji remained frozen, his eyes on the two dragons, as Byakuya reached him and wrapped a calm hand around the one that still wielded Zabimaru. Renji's glowing eyes met Byakuya's and he slowly returned his weapon to its sheath. Byakuya's hands took hold of Renji's face and his eyes froze the redhead in place. He kissed Renji warmly and took hold of his sword hand, bringing it to rest on the dragon marking on his chest. He brought his other hand to rest over the marking that had appeared on Renji's chest.

"Seirei Setsuzoku," Byakuya said calmly, "Abarai Renji."

Renji's glowing red eyes fastened on his and he nodded.

"Hai, Seirei Setsuzoku, Kuchiki Byakuya, Doragon Scion…" Renji said, bringing his head to rest on Byakuya's shoulder.

Red and pink light flared around them, flashing and sparking. Between the two shinigamis and the two dragons, the spirit link opened.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kuchiki Byakuya woke the next morning to the absolute worst headache he had ever experienced. Such was the sensation that it took him several long moments to realize that he had no idea where he was…or how he had ended up lying on a small cot in unfamiliar surroundings. He lifted his head slightly and immediately regretted having moved. Pain shot through his head and he dropped it back onto the pillow, groaning softly and closing his eyes again. A moment later, someone slipped a hand beneath his head and lifted it. Then something was brought to his lips.

"This will help ease that headache," a soft voice said.

He kept his eyes closed, but managed a few swallows, then drifted back to sleep as the pain faded. He slept somewhat fitfully, small remnants of spirit energy flaring briefly, now and again, giving him the feeling of blood running too hotly beneath his skin. A cool cloth brushed over his face and he couldn't quite hold back a small sigh of relief. He tried to open his eyes again, but they were heavy lidded and refused to obey. He drifted off again, and this time slept more peacefully. And when he woke next, the headache was gone and the feeling of heat had left his blood. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at Hasashi.

He blinked in surprise.

"You can…see me in shinigami form?" he asked the professor.

"Yes," Hasashi replied quietly, "I have been able to see shinigamis for some time now."

Byakuya sat up slowly and noticed Renji sleeping on a cot nearby them.

"Is Renji…"

"He's fine," Hasashi assured him, "The two of you appear to have suffered no permanent damage."

"But…how did you happen to find us? We were…"

"The two of you flooded this whole area with spirit energy. A better question would be how one would have missed such a display. But then, great power is necessary when one opens a Spirit Link."

"You know of the Spirit Link?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes," Hasashi replied, handing him a cup of hot green tea.

Byakuya sipped at the tea and waited for the other to explain.

"Naoki and I have been studying the constellation Draco for some time. During our studies, we uncovered a related bit of mythology, the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin. But then, you must know something of the myth, judging by the book I found in your possession. I knew of the book's existence, of course, but I was not aware that you were in possession of it."

He picked up the book and began to read the newest entry.

I have found my chosen and we have completed the Spirit Link. When the stars of Draco flared, I awakened my chosen and we learned to wield our dragon forms. When we gained control of them, we were able to achieve the Spirit Link. The connection between us will help us in our battle against the Doragon Tatsujin. Now we await the flaring of the stars of Draco and need to begin our search for the Valley of Dragons. I believe that a return to the Seireitei is necessary as I have a suspicion that a search of the Kuchiki family archive may hold pertinent information.

Byakuya gazed up at Hasashi.

"Does any of this make sense to you?"

Hasashi shrugged.

I know of the Spirit Link and the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin. I wasn't convinced it was real before, but seeing as how you and Abarai Renji have opened a Spirit Link, it seems that the myth is real…and we should expect the stars of Draco to flare. Some of them were flaring last night…but not all."

"It seemed that the flaring of the stars caused us to open the Spirit Link," Byakuya observed.

"What happened last night was just the beginning," Hasashi said softly, "The stars of Draco will continue to flare more and more brightly. When all are pulsing together, the time will have come for you and Renji to enter the Valley of Dragons to do battle with the Doragon Tatsujin."

"But what is the Doragon Tatsujin? What do you know about it?"

"Not a great deal," admitted the professor, "I only know that he is said to be a spirit being with great power. He will enter the Valley of Dragons and if you are not able to stop him, he will call together a conflagration of dragons and wreak havoc upon the world. Only the Doragon Scion, you, and the Doragon chosen, Renji, can stop him from destroying everything in his path."

"But you have no knowledge of where the Valley of Dragons might be?" asked Byakuya.

"No," said the other, studying Byakuya carefully, "but your book mentioned an archive…"

"Yes, I am familiar with it. I will attend to it tonight after I am finished teaching my classes."

Hasashi nodded.

"And when you return, I would like to speak with you about it. It is not every day that a myth comes to life. I want to document everything that happens."

He smiled enthusiastically at Byakuya.

"I knew there was more to you than meets the eye, Professor Kuchiki," he said, "I am glad to see that you have not disappointed me. But for now, rest and drink your tea. I imagine Renji will wake soon and then the two of you can be off. You can find me here in my laboratory when you return from the archive."

Byakuya's eyes followed the professor questioningly as he rose and left the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ugh…Oh kami, Bya…my head!" moaned Renji.

"Here, try this," Byakuya said softly, bringing a cup to his lips.

Renji sipped at the liquid, then dropped off to sleep again. He woke a short time later and Byakuya slipped a cup of tea into his hand.

"Do you feel better, Renji?" he asked.

The redhead stared at Byakuya.

"You stabbed me with your zanpakutou!" he said, his eyes widening, "Why the hell did you do that?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I don't know exactly. I only know that the stars of Draco began to flare and…I moved, but I was not in control of my body."

"I looked into your eyes and it was like looking into the eyes of a complete stranger, Byakuya," Renji said worriedly.

"I lost awareness. And it was more like I was watching it than participating…except at the point when the Spirit Link opened…Renji, we've opened the Spirit Link."

Renji blinked.

"I can feel it," he said, a smile coming to his lips, "It's so strange. It feels like your mind is right here with mine!"

"And so it is. I don't know a lot about how it works, but I do know that we can sense each other's thoughts and emotions, even from far away. And we can feel each other's pain. The connection between our spirits is so strong that the loss of one would be devastating to the other. What I don't understand is why this time you accepted the link."

Renji gazed up at him thoughtfully.

"I…well, you asked me to. You said Seirei Setsuzoku and my name…and I just…wanted to."

He looked more closely at Byakuya and leaned forward.

"Byakuya…your dragon marking changed!"

Byakuya looked down and caught his breath in surprise. He studied the marking closely.

"Renji, it's the petal dragon…and it seems that you have one also."

Renji stared down at the red dragon marking.

"It's the red skull dragon…" Renji mused, "Byakuya…do you want to explain to me just what the hell is going on?"

"The journal I carry said that I awakened you and that the two of us learned to wield our dragon forms…and then we opened the Spirit Link. It said that we only need to find the Valley of Dragons and wait for the stars of Draco to flare. It also said that I might find clues to the location of the Valley of Dragons in my family archive. I'll go and search the archive after classes end tonight."

Renji nodded, then seemed to suddenly become aware of their surroundings.

"Byakuya…where are we?" he asked.

"Hasashi's laboratory," Byakuya answered, glancing in the direction the professor had gone, "It seems that Hasashi is able to see shinigamis. He said that he found us because of the large amounts of spirit energy we gave off while gaining control of our dragon forms and achieving the Spirit Link."

"So he brought us here…"

"Yes, and he seems to be aware of how we fit into this myth. But I sensed something odd about him. He is hiding something."

"What do you mean?" Renji asked, furrowing his brow.

"I mean that when I originally tried to sense his innate power, I sensed significant power, but I wasn't sure of the nature of it. When he was here earlier, I tried again and received the same impression, but there was something unusual in his reiatsu. Renji…I don't know for certain, but I wonder if the professor could be a hollow or a shinigami himself…perhaps concealed in some kind of protective form…something like our gigai, but able to block invasive reiatsu."

"Wow…sounds like something out of the twelfth division!"

"Exactly…so while I go to the archive, I want you to go to the twelfth division and request information on experimental gigai forms that might be able to throw off reiatsu sensing techniques. If it was an experiment there, then there will probably be a record of it…and its abilities."

"I hate the twelfth division!" Renji complained, "That freak taichou is always trying to get me to let him experiment on me."

"Kurotsuchi taichou does that to everyone," Byakuya said dryly, "Just ignore it…and keep Zabimaru close to you. We need that information, Renji. We shouldn't move forward from this point until we know for certain the truth of who Hasashi is…and how he fits into all of this. And…"

He stopped and looked around questioningly.

"Renji, did you hear someone?"

Renji strained his ears listening. At first, he heard nothing unusual, but then he thought he could just catch the sound of someone calling for help.

"Mayumi?" he said, looking at Byakuya.

Byakuya nodded.

He reached out with his senses and followed her reiatsu. Renji followed as he left the room they were in, then turned down the hall and moved silently past several other rooms. They came to a locked door.

"She is in there," Byakuya said softly, "Watch for him."

Byakuya sent a pulse of spirit energy into the lock and it released with a loud click. He turned the handle and opened the door to find himself looking at a winding staircase that went down into a room below them. He slipped into the room and moved silently down the stairs. At the bottom, he found himself in a darkened room and had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust. As they did, he spotted Mayumi, bound and gagged. She looked up at him and began to struggle, releasing muffled cries around the gag. Byakuya stepped forward and released the girl.

"Arigato!" she hissed softly, "That creep tied me up and left me here! He said he needed me for some sacrifice they're going to do!"

Byakuya took her hand.

"Come with me. We'll get out of here, then we can talk."

Mayumi nodded and followed him back up the stairs.

"I don't sense him nearby."

They climbed the stairs and returned to where Renji waited in the hallway.

"Renji, let's go," Byakuya whispered, "We need to take her somewhere safe."

"Urahara?" Renji said questioningly.

Byakuya nodded.

"If he appears, take her and go. Let me handle him."

They made their way back down the hallway and cautiously moved toward the front door. Renji turned the door handle, but the door would not open. He looked back at Byakuya.

"I guess he really doesn't want us to leave," the redhead commented.

Byakuya's eyes widened suddenly in realization.

"Renji," he said softly, "This whole building is one big reiatsu cage!"

Renji stared back at him in shock.

"Just who the hell _is_ this guy?" he asked in a stunned whisper.


	10. Blood Sacrifice

**Chapter 10: Blood Sacrifice**

"Now what do we do?" mused Renji, "I don't know about you, but I don't have what it takes to shatter a reiastu cage!"

"It won't be easy, nor quiet, I'm afraid," agreed Byakuya, stepping toward the door.

He studied the door, window and wall in front of them, brushing his reiatsu against it, testing it at multiple spots until he found one that seemed to satisfy him.

"Get under the piano over there," Byakuya told Mayumi.

The girl nodded and quickly took cover.

"Renji," Byakuya said, gathering his power around him, "there is room here for the skeletal snake. Call it."

Renji nodded.

"Ban kai," he said, his eyes growing fierce, "Hihio Zabimaru!"

The skeletal snake formed beside him and curled into a coil, waiting for the redhead's next command.

"Be ready with your attack. Mine is like the first tap on the head of a nail. Yours will drive the nail in and form a crack, then I will shatter the cage."

Renji nodded. He glanced at Mayumi to see that she was staying under cover and found her watching them with wide eyes.

"Keep down," he warned her.

Mayumi nodded.

Byakuya pointed a finger at the spot he had chosen.

"Hado #4, Byakurai!"

A bright bolt of blue light shot from his fingertip and lanced into the spot on the wall.

"Now, Renji!"

"Hikotsu Taihou!" shouted Renji.

A red fireball formed in the skeletal snake's mouth and blasted the area Byakuya had hit with his spell causing the building to creak and groan and a large crack to form in the wall.

"Hado #33, Soukatsui!" Byakuya called out.

A ball of blue fire blazed across the room and struck the wall where the other attacks had weakened it. The force of the explosion blasted a large hole in the wall, just big enough for them to crawl out of. Renji dragged Mayumi to her feet and the three raced for the opening. To their dismay, as they approached it, the hole quickly repaired itself, leaving them every bit as trapped as before.

"Damn it!" yelled Renji, "What is this place?"

"Easy, Renji," Byakuya said bracingly, "You didn't think he was going to make it easy for us, did you? I think we're beginning to get a few clues about Naoki's disappearance. But right now, we need to focus on getting out of here. I think we should try something similar to last time, but alter our approach a bit."

"Alter it how?" Renji asked, scratching his head.

"Your skeletal snake…We'll use that last. We'll climb onto the head of the snake and I will fire two spells to weaken the wall. You will need to use your fire blast a moment before we reach the wall…before it has time to regenerate."

Renji gazed at the wall doubtfully.

"Well, it's fine as long as it works and the hole is big enough, but Taichou, what if…"

"Get ready!"

The three climbed onto the back of the great snake and Byakuya used a kido spell to bind them in place. Then he turned to Renji, his dark eyes intense and determined.

"Are you ready?" he asked solemnly.

"Hell no!" grinned Renji, "but fire at will, Taichou!"

Byakuya raised his spirit energy until the air raged around them whipping their hair about and tearing at their clothes. The building and the floor beneath them shook madly. Mayumi clung tightly to Renji, her icy eyes locked on the wall ahead of them. Renji held onto Mayumi and waited for Byakuya's spells.

"Hado #4, Byakurai!"

The lightning blast shot toward the wall and as part of the same motion, Byakuya fired the second spell.

"Hado #33, Soukatsui!"

The blast weakened the wall and shook the house, bringing a shower of dust and debris down onto them.

"Now, Renji!"

Renji tightened his hands on Mayumi and the skeletal snake.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" he cried, sending the snake soaring across the room.

Red fire blazed in the great snake's mouth and burst out ahead of them as the skeletal snake carried them across the room behind it. The blast hit the wall and the three were enveloped in choking dust and debris. Then the snake hit the opening with killing force and power erupted around them. Luckily for the three, their placement down low, behind the snake's head protected them as the beast shot through the already closing hole, striking the edges, then sailing wildly out of control.

"Renji!" cried Byakuya.

"Argh!" roared the redhead, straining to bring the huge snake back under control.

He gained just enough control to bring them to a harsh belly landing in the field across from the laboratory building. All three were thrown from the snake's back and sent tumbling across the damp grass as the snake flopped, twisted and finally shattered into an impressive shower of glowing red dust.

Renji dragged himself to his feet, coughing and squinting as the debris rained down, trying to get some sense of where the others were.

"Byakuya!" he yelled, "Mayumi!"

Byakuya pushed himself to his knees nearby, coughing and waving briefly to Renji to show he wasn't injured. Mayumi stumbled into sight next, seemingly unhurt, but with blazing eyes and a burst of anger she loosed on Renji.

"You idiot! You could have killed us all! I should…"

She stopped herself suddenly, as if she had said more than she meant to, but continued to stare daggers at the redhead as he pulled Byakuya to his feet. Byakuya brushed the stray hairs out of his face, suddenly registering the loss of the hair tie that had been holding it back.

"I think," he said quietly, "that when we return home, we'll be adding a few things to your training, Abarai."

Renji laughed softly.

"Hey, we all got out in one piece, right?"

Mayumi rolled her eyes.

"You're ridiculous!" she muttered.

Byakuya studied the girl for a moment.

"Mayumi," he said, watching as she turned to face him, "I find it interesting that you are adjusting so easily to the ways of the shinigami. How did you come to find out about us?"

"Uh…Byakuya," Renji said urgently, "I think we'd best save our questions for later. The fire department just got here and look, the evil professor is over there staring at us!"

Byakuya followed Renji's gaze. Hasashi stood with the fire marshall, but his eyes kept straying to the three in the field. Byakuya felt the coldness of the man's gaze slice through him. He again had the strong feeling that this man could not be of the living world, but his senses couldn't seem to pierce the illusion to see whether he was shinigami or hollow. The reiatsu around him remained familiar, but distorted to the point of uselessness. Byakuya met his eyes with equal coldness.

"Come," he said to the others, "We had best find somewhere safe to stay tonight."

Renji turned to Mayumi.

"We need to hurry, so I'll have to carry you."

Without waiting for an answer, he gathered the reluctant girl into his arms.

"You want to go to Kisuke's?" Renji asked, "It isn't far and it's the safest place I can think of for all of us…not to mention that Kisuke is pretty knowledgeable. He might be able to help us answer some of our questions."

Byakuya nodded.

"Go on, I'll catch up. I want to be certain we are not followed."

"Sure thing, Taichou!" Renji said, pulling Mayumi close and flash stepping away.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, Renji, come in!" said Kisuke, "Who's your friend?"

Renji set Mayumi down and the girl straightened her clothing and shook out her hair.

"Kisuke, this is Mayumi. She's a grad student up at the university. Kuchiki taichou and I are working there and it seems Mayumi is in some trouble and needs a safe place to stay for a day or two."

Kisuke nodded.

"No problem," he said, looking out the door, "Where's Byakuya?"

The Squad Six taichou flash stepped onto the porch.

"Ah, there you are," Kisuke said, smiling, "Come in, Kuchiki taichou. Renji said you boys found some trouble up at the university…something that appears to involve this girl. Wait, before you start, let's go into the other room and Tessai will make us some tea."

The three followed Kisuke into the next room and sat down at the table. Kisuke studied the three for a moment.

"You all look a bit rumpled. Anyone need healing?"

The three shook their heads.

"So what's going on?"

"Renji and I were sent to the university to investigate the disappearance of one of the professors and several missing students in addition to reports of reiatsu anomalies in the area."

"Yeah, Tessai and I have been keeping an eye on the reiatsu pulses," Kisuke said, nodding.

"In any case, Mayumi approached me about the disappearance of Professor Naoki and the students. She offered some clues that may help us find the missing persons. The occurrences at the university seem to be related to the myth of The Doragon Tatsujin, a spirit creature capable of stealing control of all of the dragon zanpakutous and launching a major attack on the living world. Professors Naoki and Hasashi were studying pulses in the constellation Draco and noticed some odd patterns. There is a myth that when the entire constellation flares, the Doragon Tatsujin will appear in the Valley of Dragons and will attempt an attack on the living world. This attack can only be stopped if the Doragon Scion and his Spirit Linked combine forces and go to the Valley of Dragons during the constellation flare."

"So…I take it from your tone that you believe the myth is true," Kisuke surmised.

Byakuya nodded.

"I am the Doragon Scion and I have linked with Abarai Renji."

"So you need to go to the Valley of Dragons?"

"We need to find it," Byakuya said quietly, "I have a journal that seems to track my moves and it gives clues as to what I should do next. It has suggested I look in the Kuchiki family archive. I intend to go there now to search for the information. I'll need Renji's assistance, so we were hoping that you would offer Mayumi some protection while we are gone."

"Sure, no problem…but do you mind if I see this journal of yours?"

Byakuya withdrew the journal and handed it to Kisuke. Kisuke opened the book and read the entries, then closed it and let his reiatsu wrap around it. His eyes became intent as he worked and when he finished, he handed the book back to Byakuya, shaking his head softly.

"There's an odd feel to that thing, Kuchiki taichou. I would be wary of trusting everything it says."

Byakuya nodded.

"I am plenty wary of all of the apparent facts of the situation, but it seems that I keep getting pushed forward. It's very odd. I am uncomfortable not having more information about the Doragin Tatsujin myth. The information is scanty at best, and not terribly trustworthy."

"Well, maybe I can help you with that," Kisuke offered, "I have a very large collection of varied types of information and I do have a lot on mythologies of the humans, shinigamis and even the hollows."

"I studied the human and shinigami connections," Byakuya replied, "but I do not have access to hollow writings or mythologies."

"Yeah," agreed Kisuke, "They don't really tend to extend so much into the arts, but still, I'll peruse what I have here while you're gone. And Mayumi can stay here and have tea with Tessai."

"Well, not that I don't appreciate the offer, but can't I somehow go with you?" Mayumi asked Byakuya, "Mr. Kisuke seems quite nice, of course, no offense intended, but…I really would like to stay with you."

"I am sorry, Mayumi," Byakuya said, not unkindly, "but there are very strict rules about humans entering the Seireitei."

Mayumi frowned.

"Oh well," she sighed, "I guess there's nothing to be done about that."

"Now," said Byakuya, "there is one more thing to discuss before we leave for the Seireitei. Mayumi, you said that Hasashi took you to use you as a sacrifice. Can you tell us any more about that?"

"Oh, sure," the girl agreed, "He said that when the constellation Draco flares, there needs to be a blood sacrifice to start the ritual."

"A blood sacrifice?"

"Actually, I think he said that the Doragon Tatsujin requires a sacrifice of flesh, but he wouldn't say any more than that. The creep just tied me up and left me in his lab. But he meant to take me to wherever the Valley of Dragons is."

"And he wants us to get there, too," Renji mused, "but, Taichou, if they know where the Valley of Dragons is…and they want us to go there, then why not just feed us the information?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I don't know. There is still a great deal about this situation that doesn't make sense. I think the sooner we go back to the Seireitei and conduct our search, the better. But we must be quite wary as we move forward. The very idea that they want us to go ahead with all of this is enough to suggest they know something important that we don't."

Byakuya and Renji stood.

"Arigato, Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya said, turning toward the door, "We shall attempt to return by early tomorrow."

"Uh…Taichou, don't we have to be at the university tonight?" Renji asked.

"Not to worry, Renji," he assured the redhead, "I have sent our replacement forms out. No one will know the difference."

"Ah, good thinking, Taichou."

Hell butterflies fluttered into the room and the senkaimon opened in front of them. Mayumi watched carefully as they disappeared and the doors closed, then she turned to Kisuke.

"Mr. Kisuke, I am really worn out. Do you have a quiet place I might rest for a bit?"

"Sure thing," Kisuke said, leading her down the hall and into a bedroom. Just let me know if you need anything during the night."

"Arigato," she said quietly.

She waited until the sounds in the house faded and until it was late at night to slip outside. Hasashi beckoned her into a clump of brush. The girl brushed the white hair out of her eyes and smiled widely at Hasashi.

"So, what did you find out?" he asked her.

"They really are quite clueless," Mayumi said, "They have no idea where this is going."

"And yet," the other said, "I heard when you were yelling at Abarai Renji. You know…an illusion is only as good as its weakest point. You may want to remember that. They are already suspecting I am other than what I appear to be. And if they discover who you are, they will, most likely, kill you on sight…especially given that interesting moment in history you share with Kuchiki Byakuya. He would kill you on sight if he discovered your identity, so you had best be more careful. We need them to remain unaware of our identities and our intent until he faces the Doragon Tatsujin."

"So…do you want him to win or lose?"

"It matters very little," Hasashi said, blinking slowly, "because I have the means for gaining control over either one. I do think, however, Kuchiki Byakuya would be easier to control. Get back to the house."

"Ah, yes," Mayumi said softly, "Kisuke is going to search through his hollow texts for information on the Doragon Tatsujin myth."

"I'm frankly surprised that no one thought of that sooner."

"So you don't mind if they learn the whole truth?"

"They won't…not soon enough to stop what's happening anyway. The hollow texts have to be translated, so finding the reference and then translating the text will take days…and they don't have days. Go back. And just after they return, meet me in the Valley of Dragons. Make sure they don't figure you out before then…and make sure they follow."


	11. To Combat Frustration

**Chapter 11: To Combat Frustration**

Kuchiki Byakuya surveyed the shelves of the Kuchiki family archive, frowning in annoyance. He had conducted what he felt to be a thorough search of the family texts, just as the Doragon Nikki had suggested, but he had found no useful information on the Valley of Dragons. Searching the amazingly thorough reference section yielded nothing and even conducting a reiatsu sensing search had proven useless. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps it was as Urahara Kisuke had said, and the text was simply misleading him for some reason…although up to this point, it had proven to be surprisingly accurate.

The one good thing about the long quiet search was that it gave him time to slow down and really think in more depth about what had happened between Renji and himself. He hadn't had much time to give the Spirit Link thought, but he felt the difference all through his body. It was the most odd and wonderful thing he had ever felt. He could actually feel Renji's mind alongside his, could sense his thoughts, and he found that if he concentrated, he could actually see through Abarai Renji's eyes.

He had never felt anything like it before. It was as though the loneliness that had defined his earlier years had disappeared and all of a sudden, Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't alone anymore. And he would never have to be alone again. Because even if the unthinkable happened and he or Renji should die, their linked souls would pass from life together. It would not be as it was when Hisana died. Kuchiki Byakuya would never again know what it was to live without his lover. After Abarai Renji, there could never be another. And being in touch with Renji's mind, he knew that the redhead felt the exact same way. He marveled that such a thing could happen, that this one person could bring so much to his life…could take away the loneliness he had felt for so many years. He felt a sense of deep gratitude and he let those feelings slip through the link to gently touch Renji's mind. The warm, loving emotion that floated back to him through their link was nothing short of heavenly. He suddenly wondered how the fully opened link would affect their lovemaking…Then a blush moved across his fine features as he heard Renji's laughter in his mind, that and the suggestion that they meet later to find out. Byakuya realized suddenly that they were both going to have to learn to be a little cautious in the thoughts they shared…not that he minded the playful exchange, but he could see how an exchange like that at an improper time could result in problems.

_Like in the middle of your next taichou's meeting?_

Byakuya frowned.

_Do not even think about it…_

Even being a bit irritated at the suggestion, he couldn't help but feel soothed by another soft chuckle that passed between them.

_Have you found anything in regards to the reiatsu concealing gigai forms?_

There was a short pause.

_Nemu says that she will collect the information and have it to us by tomorrow._

He hadn't wanted to be away from Mayumi for so long, but owing to the fact that he still hadn't found the location of the Valley of Dragons, he would need to stay anyway. Byakuya sighed softly, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. All at once, he saw a mental image of him showering with Renji.

_Will you please desist?_

Renji's laughter tickled at his mind.

_Not on your life, Taichou! You've been down there long enough. Come and join me. You can always go back in there later…_

Shaking his head in mock annoyance, Byakuya turned and flash stepped back to the archive door. He opened it and stepped out onto the walkway, then was immediately swept off his feet and carried down the walkway and into their bedroom. Renji lowered him onto the bed, climbing onto the bed and straddling his body. Byakuya gazed up into the lusty brown eyes and lost all will to resist.

"Byakuya…"

There was so much in the delivery of his name. In that one word was a firestorm of love, desire, lust, need…It burned through the link and roiled against his mind. Byakuya felt like the ground had fallen away beneath him and he was floating on air.

Tanned hands released the tie at his waist and peeled away his clothing, then slowly removed the kenseiken. Byakuya stared up at Renji, still buried in those eyes and unable to speak…even to breathe.

He let his eyes run down the length of the body extended over his, admiring the slow reveal of golden flesh and strong black lines as he pushed the shihakushou back off of the redhead's muscular shoulders. Every line and curve and contrast was bathed in perfection. Byakuya felt tears in his eyes knowing that this beautiful creature was his alone…would never leave him…would never hurt him.

He realized suddenly that Renji was staring at him as though deeply surprised. He sat back, pulling Byakuya up with him. They sat, bared to the fading light, staring into each others' eyes. Finally, Renji found his voice.

"Byakuya…you…really think I'm that…beautiful?" he asked softly.

He couldn't answer, but he leaned forward and curled his body into Renji's arms, bringing his head to rest on a strong shoulder. And slowly…silently, Byakuya loosed a stream of mental images of what he held as being the times Renji had looked most beautiful to him…surrounded in stars as they made love, wrapping his arms lovingly around Byakuya in breathless gratitude for his wedding gift, meeting Byakuya kiss for passionate kiss on their belated wedding night, capturing a pale hand to keep him from running away from their wedding, holding him close and loving him when he had walked away from even his own name, pushing him back against the office door for a hungry, stolen kiss, bathing his burned body in soft healing light, yelling at him for stupidly risking his life on the battlefield, taking Byakuya down like a startled deer and melting him with rough, uncontrolled passion…trying to wring the truth out of him when the council punished him for making love with Renji, waking up and realizing he had fallen asleep in Byakuya's bed, walking in the gardens, sitting vigil at his taichou's side, breaking free of the pink swords to engage in a last desperate charge…and at long last, the admission…the thing he had never told anyone, but he revealed it to Renji now…the face that looked up at him from the files of candidates for fukutaichou and the oldest memory…of walking by him as he fled the academy and the sight of the girl who looked so like his late wife…

_So beautiful…_

_So powerful…_

_But I hate you for taking her…_

Renji's body had gone taut against his. The warm hands pushed him back and took hold of his face, forcing him to meet the redhead's eyes directly.

"You heard what I was thinking? And…and still you chose me? Byakuya…why would you do that? Why would you choose a fukutaichou who wanted nothing more than to destroy you? That's…that's…"

"The truth," Byakuya whispered, "My promise to keep Hisana's connection to Rukia a secret meant that I alone would bear the full weight of her death. The council was glad she was gone and Rukia was blissfully ignorant. No one else knew the agonizing cost of that promise…no one except the one other burdened by the cost of it…you, Renji."

He paused for a moment, blinking to lessen the weight of meeting those eyes. But Renji's fingers traced the line of his jaw, lifting his eyes again.

"The long hours I sat across from you…feeling the hatred that burned inside of you, I couldn't help but feel comforted that there was someone who could understand the pain of loving someone…loving someone enough to burden his own heart just to give her peace. I did this for Hisana by not telling Rukia that Hisana was her sister. You did this for Rukia by pretending to be happy for her, by letting her go."

He sighed softly and lowered his head onto Renji's shoulder, feeling the weight of that truth dissipate as Renji absorbed it.

"D-do you understand now…Renji?" he asked quietly.

He felt Renji's answer already through the Spirit Link, but he ached to hear the words. Warm fingers sank into his hair, moved down its length and curled around his neck as Renji turned and brought his lips to Byakuya's. His kiss was slow and lingering, gentle and unbearably sweet.

_I don't know how you were able to forgive me…how all of that hatred melted away and you were able to love me. But none of that matters anymore. All that matters is never feeling that awful pain of being alone. Because of you, I will never feel that pain again…_

He became aware that he was lying on his back, although he didn't remember falling. Renji's body was poised above him, brown eyes gazing steadily down into his.

_I hated that you took her from my life and I despised you for not protecting her. But when I laid on the ground, drowning in my own blood and unable to move, your spiritual pressure felt like heaven to me. And even though you had not protected her before, I could feel what you were about to do. But I thought it would be like all of the times before…like all of the times when you stepped in and finished what I couldn't…all of the times you easily broke the attacks that would shatter the rest of us…when you moved so quickly that you couldn't be anticipated or followed…but this time was different. This time, you forgot about defending yourself. You only sought to be fast enough, strong enough to pull her out of the way. But this time, you couldn't do that and protect yourself too. So you chose to save her. I was glad for that…but then my heart ached for you when I saw you fall. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I thought nothing could reach you like that. And when it did, I hated myself for not being there for you the one time you really needed me. I promised myself that it would never happen again. And I'll promise you now that the next time you need me, I will be there for you…_

He could feel Renji's mouth on his again, and the hands that held his face and made him meet that intense, loving gaze. He wondered if he was still breathing. He couldn't feel the rise and fall of his chest or the beating of his heart. Everything seemed to have gone still and quiet around him as he melted into those eyes…

_You don't have to save me…just…don't go. If I have to die, let me die looking into your eyes. I wouldn't even feel the end._

A slender, powerful body was draped over his. A hand cupped his cheek, while another trailed down the length of his throat. He felt a mouth moving against his, holding him in place, breathing life back into him. He lifted a pale hand and brought it to rest on the one that held his face. Still looking into that heart-melting gaze, he released his reiatsu, letting it flare around them, pass through them, fill them with its light. Renji blinked slowly and his own reiatsu rose around him. He held it in place for a moment, capturing the noble's dark eyes again, then released it to bind with Byakuya's.

"I understand now," Renji whispered, the words warming him from head to toe, "And I want you to understand this. There will be no more talk of dying, Kuchiki Byakuya. Because as long as I draw breath, I won't let death take you. And before you fall the way you did before, I will die defending you. I swear it!"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt their reiatsu joining, swirling together, combining. The feeling was exquisite. And with their minds connected, it was becoming euphoric. There was one last joining…

_You wanted to know what it would feel like to make love with me while linked this way. I think that we should find the answer to that together…here…now…_

Gentle hands parted his thighs and that wonderfully heated, wanting body claimed his. Their bound reiatsu flared hotly around them. Their bodies moved together, writhing beneath the swell of light that blazed through them. The deep sensations poured though them and outward, sending their minds spinning and tumbling, releasing the scattered contents in barely comprehensible flashes.

It was then that Byakuya recognized the true gift of the Spirit Link. Because even as the words tumbled and spun away and they were left staring into each others' eyes, the emotion beneath the words rose up, wrapped around them and communicated everything without a sound. It was deeper, more honest and more fulfilling than any words could ever be…stronger than any vow…and more unbreakable than any oath.

Pleasure exploded through them, raking them from the inside to the outside, brightening the air around them until it became blinding and suddenly revealing each spirit in all of its beauty and fullness.

He felt himself falling again, spiraling out of control. But the strong arms of his lover were there to capture him, to hold him close, to break his fall. The light around them was slowly fading and he ached with the desire to make it stay. But words were breaking through again, reality returning, and the deep sensation of completion was taking hold. He contented himself with holding on to the body that rested against his and nuzzling warmly against the face that rested on his shoulder.

The light had faded and the stars had begun to appear out above the gardens. The moon had risen and its light fell across the doorway, bathing the room in its untamed glow. He couldn't fall asleep, so he laid, stroking the long red lengths of Renji's hair, admiring his moonlit skin and whispering his affection to the redhead until even in his sleep, it registered enough to make him smile. He traced that smile with gentle fingertips, then let his hand fall away and turned his eyes to the nighttime sky.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So tell me," Renji said, turning in his arms, "Did you manage to get any sleep last night or did you spend the whole night staring out at the stars and daydreaming?"

Byakuya allowed himself a small smile.

"First of all," he replied quietly, "I wasn't watching the stars and secondly, who daydreams at night?"

"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" Renji said, shaking his head, "I should have known you wouldn't."

"I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

Renji laughed warmly.

"Oh," he said, meeting his lover's eyes playfully, "Well then, maybe we shouldn't sleep together…if it's going to keep you from sleeping."

"Don't even joke about that, Renji. In any case, I wouldn't sleep then either. I would be consumed with thoughts being with you."

"Hmph, it sounds like you need a little bit of help before you collapse from exhaustion. Allow me, Taichou…"

To Byakuya, it felt like that first night, long before, when Renji had been just his subordinate, trying to help his taichou get a good night's sleep. But there was deeper affection beneath the touches now, and when Byakuya finally surrendered to sleep, he did so wrapped warmly in Renji's arms.

Renji curled an arm around his sleeping lover and watched the light rise, bringing color back to the gardens outside. But despite its intrusion into the bedroom, Byakuya continued to sleep blissfully in his arms. He had almost drifted off himself when he saw a hell butterfly float in through the garden doors and Kisuke's voice rose up to shatter the stillness. Byakuya's eyes opened and came to rest on the offending creature as it delivered its message.

_I know you two are still searching for information, but you need to know…Mayumi was gone this morning. There's nothing to say what happened…whether she was taken or left of her own accord. Something about this doesn't sit right with me. I need to see you in person before you leave for the Valley of Dragons._

Byakuya sat up slowly.

"You should return to Karakura Town…find out what you can from Kisuke. I will collect the information from the twelfth division and complete my search of the archive, then meet you there."

Renji frowned thoughtfully. Byakuya gazed at him in askance.

"I don't know why…but something feels wrong. Maybe I should stay."

Byakuya shook his head.

"There's no choice, Renji," he said softly, "We need to find Mayumi and we also need to find the Valley of Dragons. Go…I will come to Karakura Town as soon as I have what I need."

Renji gazed at him doubtfully for a long moment, then shook his head.

"Can we at least have a quick shower before I go?" he asked, forcing a smile.

"No," said Byakuya softly, "All things worth doing must be done with due diligence…Renji. Rushing will only result in a job left half done."

"Fine," Renji grumbled, "but I want an extra long shower when we meet in Karakura Town."

"Of course," Byakuya said, offering his lover a long, parting kiss, "I shall look forward to that."

"Me too," said the redhead, then he paused and his eyes grew concerned, "Bya, be careful, okay. I have a really weird feeling about all of this."

"I give you my word I will not do anything reckless while you are gone," Byakuya promised.

Renji laughed softly, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm holding you to that, Kuchiki Byakuya…"


	12. The Necessary Kiss

**Chapter 12: The Necessary Kiss**

Byakuya watched as Renji flash stepped away, then turned back toward the entry gates to Kuchiki Manor. As he began to pass through them, he heard a frantic feminine voice call out behind him.

"Professor Kuchiki!"

He whirled at the sound and encountered the sight of a very out of breath Mayumi running to meet him.

"How did you get here?" he asked sharply, "How is it that you found me?"

"There…is a lot…I need to explain. If you…give me a minute…I will. I just…I have to catch my breath. Sorry."

He led her quickly through the gate, stepping back for a moment when she brushed up against him as they moved through the gate. They passed into the manor and out to the garden patio. A few minutes later, a servant appeared and set out tea, then bowed and left them. Byakuya gazed at her expectantly.

"First…I have to tell you that Professor Hasashi is not who he says he is. He is a shinigami…like you. I learned about the shinigamis from my boyfriend, Seiji, some time ago. You see, Seiji was a shinigami who came to find out what was happening to the students who were disappearing. And he was discovered by Professor Hasashi. He tried to get to Professor Naoki to warn him about Professor Hasashi, but then both of them disappeared. I was afraid to tell you everything before because I wasn't sure who I could trust, but you seemed powerful and you seemed to sense right away that something was not right with Professor Hasashi."

"Do you know any more about the Doragon Tatsujin myth or anything else you haven't told me?" Byakuya asked.

"No," she said, looking regretful, "but I might actually be able to help you find the Valley of Dragons. I heard Urahara Kisuke was studying hollow lore to see if the myth might be there, so I slipped out of his house and broke into Professor Hasashi's office at the university to see if I could find anything helpful. It was then that I found this reference."

She handed him a slip of paper.

"The Origins of All Things Hollow," Byakuya read, "This is a shinigami study of hollow lore. There are few copies in existence. I can search my archive, but I do not know if I will be able to find it. Kisuke might be more likely to come across it…however, I will go and search for it. Can I trust you to stay put, Mayumi?"

She looked at him doubtfully.

"I may have been followed here. I hid in the bushes in the living world until I saw a shinigami about to pass over. I told him that I had an urgent message for you that I had to deliver in person and he guided me through the gateway and to the manor. I was sure several times that I saw someone following, but no one appeared. I just…I worry that if I am left alone that I will be found. May I come with you into the archive?"

"I am sorry. Entry into the archive is restricted. However, I will leave you with someone to accompany you until my return."

He left the table for a moment, then returned with Rukia.

"Rukia," he said turning to her, "this is Mayumi. She is a person related to my mission in the living world. I would like for you to visit with her while I search the archive for a reference."

"Of course, Nii-sama," Rukia said, smiling at the girl, "Is there anything in particular I might watch for?"

Byakuya met her eyes meaningfully.

"You are to watch her with due diligence," he said, blinking slowly.

Understanding appeared in Rukia's eyes.

"Yes, Nii-sama," she said, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea.

Byakuya rose and flash stepped toward the archive. Mayumi's eyes followed him carefully until he disappeared inside.

"So Mayumi," Rukia said pleasantly, "When we are finished with our tea, shall I show you the gardens? They are the most beautiful in Soul Society."

Mayumi smiled.

"Yes…yes, Rukia, that would be lovely," she said, her eyes glinting softly as she looked down into her teacup.

XXXXXXXXXX

"The translation is coming through now, sir," Tessai said, pushing several buttons on the console in front of him.

Kisuke watched as the words began to appear on the screen in front of him.

"Sheesh!" he complained, looking at the length of the incoming text, "For savages, those hollows sure to have a lot to say! This could take a while!"

He sifted through the tales carefully, noting several references to the coming of the Doragon Scion and the rise of the Doragon Tatsujin. He continued to travel back in time, searching each time period to try to find a time frame for the myth itself. Tessai returned to the vault and searched for more related texts, returning and feeding them into the computer for translation. Kisuke continued to read, barely noticing when lunch was set beside him. He took absent bites and pored over the information, sighing in frustration.

"There's gotta be something in here somewhere!" he muttered, "Where are you hiding?"

Jinta appeared to tell him Renji had arrived and Kisuke muttered something about feeding the moocher and turned back to his work.

It was just before dinnertime when Kisuke found what he had been looking for. He read carefully, cross-referencing several words and phrases in the translation. He furrowed his brow and printed out the section. He carried it into the dining room and sat down with Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, Renji and Yoruichi.

Yoruichi looked at him quizzically.

"What's wrong? You found the myth, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I'm trying to make sure I'm understanding it correctly. You see, several things still aren't making sense. The story I found is an account of Teijo Kuchiki. That part is unsurprising considering the fact that the Doragon Scion has to be a shinigami of great power and the Kuchiki family is one that produces many powerful offspring. Byakuya's awakening as the Doragon Scion makes sense because he is the most powerful leader in the clan's history."

"So what doesn't make sense?" asked Renji.

"I'll get to that in a minute," Kisuke said, looking back at the printout, "Now, it does talk about the awakening of the Doragon Scion and the choosing of the Spirit Link. It goes on to say that once the link is joined, there is a binding of spirit…not just a binding of reiatsu, but a connection of souls. That's why they say that if one dies the other…well, if you get technical, it says the other soul may or will not survive, depending on how the word is translated."

"That's a pretty important difference," muttered Renji.

"It goes on to speak of the power balance between the souls, hinting that it can affect whether a soul survives the loss of the other. In any case, I still take it to mean you don't want to know what will happen if one of you dies, okay?"

"Yeah," said Renji, chuckling, "I'll try to keep that in mind!"

The myth goes on to say that the Doragon Scion must be taken to the Valley of Dragons. I was a little rumpled by the use of the word 'taken' here. It was carefully stated and can also mean 'led' or 'misled.' The language is tricky."

"Was there anything about sacrificing a virgin?" Renji said, scratching his head thoughtfully, "Well, maybe just a girl…"

"Mayumi said a sacrifice of flesh, didn't she?" Kisuke asked.

"Yeah, that's what she told us."

"Well, there's no mention of sacrificing a virgin…and this is where the language gets very elusive, but if I understand correctly, it says there will be a giving over of flesh and a devouring of a pure soul."

"That could be what Mayumi meant," Renji said, frowning, "couldn't it?"

"Well, this is the part that makes the least sense. The myth very carefully lays out each step, each piece. It speaks of the awakening of the Doragon Scion and every step he must take before reaching the Valley of Dragons. But nowhere does it say that a sacrifice must be brought. That either makes no sense, or it makes a kind of sense that we don't want to think about."

"What do you mean?" Renji asked, his voice hardening.

"What I mean is that if just the Doragon Scion and his Spirit Linked travel to meet the Doragon Tatsujin…maybe one or both might _be_ the sacrifice."

"What?" Renji yelled, "How do you figure that?"

"Well, the word 'scion' refers to a descendant, here Byakuya. He is meant to be the descendant of the past Doragon Tatsujin. In his current state, the Doragon Tatsujin is a shadow. He doesn't have the physical form of a human or even the full spirit form of a shinigami or hollow. He's basically a floating field of resonant power. I suspect that what is being said here is that the scion is consumed by the Doragon Tatsujin shadow form and is reborn as the actual physical entity of the Doragon Tatsujin."

"Tell me you're kidding," Renji said, pale faced, "You can't mean that…that thing is going to eat him?"

"That's what it looks like," affirmed Kisuke, "and to make matters worse, that begs the question. If Mayumi is not the sacrifice, then who or what is she? I may not have any idea _who_ she is, but the fact that she is sticking close to you…and even wanted to go to the Seireitei with you suggests what her role is…If I am right, Mayumi is the bait being used to maneuver Byakuya and you into entering the Valley of Dragons. The flaring of the constellation Draco will occur when you are both in the valley and will call the shadow Doragon Tatsujin to meet you."

"So that thing will eat Byakuya's soul? And what about me?"

"That I can tell you with some certainty. You become his counterpart…your link to Byakuya will still be opened, because when his soul is consumed, he merely becomes part of the Doragon Tatsujin, and you become his counterpart…his dragon…quite a power-up from the smaller dragon you wield right now."

He set the papers down.

"This is why I recalled you two here and why I was hoping Byakuya would be with you. You can't let yourselves be dragged into this mess. The problem is, now that Byakuya has been awakened and the Spirit Link opened, his followers will continue to attempt to lure or capture and take you to the Valley of Dragons. The only way to stop it is for Byakuya to somehow resist the intrusion of the Doragon Tatsujin into his body. I have something that might help, but you will have to administer it…because it is a virus, not serious, but one that will cause his systems to immediately and violently reject any intrusion. It isn't enough to fix things, but it can delay the intrusion and allow the two of you to fight the shadow."

"Great," muttered Renji, "but how do we fight a shadow?"

"Strangely enough," Kisuke smiled, "I can actually help you with that…but since Byakuya is not here, I can only affect your zanpakutou. If his cannot be affected, then you will have to fight the shadow with your blade and he will have to stick to kido. And Renji, it will be a very nasty fight. I would not suggest allowing anyone to go with you. It is too likely the Doragon Tatsujin will attempt to use them to stop your blade. You and Byakuya will have to do this on your own…if it is to be done."

"Great! Just great!" exclaimed Renji, "If we don't do this, it never ends, but if we do…"

"If you do, you do it alone and you had better win. If not…"

"Yeah, I know," Renji interrupted, "a flight of dragons will attack the living world."

Kisuke stared at him is surprise.

"No," he said softly, "because the Doragon Tatsujin isn't interested in the living world. He is a hollow creation…meant to bring about the death of the Spirit King."

"Damn!" exclaimed Renji, "I should warn Byakuya."

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to connect with Byakuya's mind. Strangely, there was no connection. He tried again to no avail, then tried looking through the noble's eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Kisuke.

"I can't connect with his mind! Kisuke…it's…it's like he's there, but he isn't hearing me! I have to go back to the manor. Something may have happened."

"I'll send a hell butterfly," Kisuke offered, "I'll tell him to wait for you and to surround himself with security."

"And I'll go with Renji," Yoruichi said, "He needs protection too."

"Just remember," Kisuke said sternly, "if they've led him away, then you can't go to the Valley of Dragons with Renji. If he goes, he goes alone."

"But we don't know where it is!" objected Renji.

"Yes, actually, we do," Kisuke corrected him, removing a page from the ones he had been reading, "It's in Hueco Mundo…hollow myth, remember? That page will take you there."

Renji nodded and slipped the page into his shihakushou.

"Now, you said something about affecting my sword."

"Come with me," Kisuke said brusquely, there's no time to lose. Tessai, send that hell butterfly."

"I will."

Kisuke led Renji to his personal laboratory.

"Don't touch anything," he said only half-joking, "Come over here."

Renji followed, looking around at the odd array of solutions and devices, curious about what they were for. Kisuke took Zabimaru from Renji and lowered the blade into a containment unit. Red light hummed around the blade for several minutes, then faded. Worried about Zabimaru, Renji reached out with his mind and connected with the sword's spirit.

_You guys okay in there?_

_-Fine, it just make snake boy a little punch drunk, if you know what I mean-_

Renji shook his head in annoyance. He watched as Kisuke handed the blade back to him, then reached into another container and withdrew an ugly looking toad.

"What the…?"

"This little guy isn't just cute," Kisuke said, smiling, "He also carries the virus that will help Byakuya resist the Doragon Tatsujin."

"Kami, don't tell I have to eat him or something!" Renji objected.

"No!" said Kisuke, smiling even wider, "You just have to kiss him!"

"Like hell I'm going to…KISUKE!" Renji shouted, "I'm not kissing that damn toad and don't fucking tell me it's okay 'cause he'll turn into a prince or something!"

"No, he won't turn into a prince or a princess, but he will give you the virus and then you'll give it to Byakuya by kissing him."

"I fucking hate you!" Renji exclaimed, "At least tell me that this virus has a cure! And no weird side effects!"

"Well, it goes away on its own…and the side effects are usually very minor."

When Kisuke had finished describing the possible side effects, Renji hated him even more. Still, this was to save Byakuya's life…

"Ah, kami, this is fucking gross!" he groaned, leaning forward to kiss the ugly creature.

It was then that Abarai Renji discovered that some toads had a very sick sense of humor…and a very quick tongue…


	13. Taken, Led or Misled

**Chapter 13: Taken, Led or Misled**

Kuchiki Rukia was careful not to take her eyes off of Mayumi for even a moment. Her brother's instruction to her had been clear. If Byakuya wanted her guarded with 'due diligence,' then it meant he did not trust her. Not only had this girl earned his mistrust, his warning meant that he also deemed her dangerous. But what form that danger would take was in no way obvious.

Still, she found herself inclined to agree with him. As they walked the garden trail together, she found the girl's tight-lipped smile disconcerting…and her seemingly innocuous comments suspicious. Rukia knew to be on her guard and she remained so diligently. She used every method she could think of to draw information from the girl, but found her deeply controlled and careful.

_She is definitely hiding something. I need to find a way to trip her up!_

But tripping her up was proving to be difficult. If she was hiding something, then she certainly had to be powerful to have gotten so close to Byakuya and to have earned his very cautious approach. Her brother had to be involved in something extremely dangerous if he was allowing this.

_I need to help him figure out what this girl is hiding._

They turned a corner and emerged in a part of the garden that was cut off from the house. It was, Rukia realized, a great place for an ambush. She wasn't surprised when Mayumi stopped and turned to look at some of the blossoming flowers. She kept her distance, answering the girl's questions, but remaining on guard. She sensed annoyance building in the other and felt a twinge of satisfaction.

_If you think I'm going to make this easy for you, then think again!_

Mayumi turned to face her and Rukia sensed that the game was about to be ended. She stood calmly, but mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen. She thought it odd that even with the threat of sudden danger, the gardens could still be so bright with sunshine and so peaceful. That peace was about to be shattered. Mayumi's eyes were cold now and held signs of mayhem. She smiled widely and her head tilted. Slowly, she revealed the one hidden beneath.

"Tell me, Kuchiki Rukia, when did you become too smart for your own good?" the cold, familiar voice said.

And Kuchiki Rukia knew in that moment that her brother was in more trouble than he knew. Unfortunately for both of them, it was more trouble than she could handle on her own. But even so, she drew her weapon and defended them proudly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt a familiar chill as he passed through the door and into the Kuchiki family archive. Suspended between dimensions, it carried the coldness of dead space as one passed through into its core. Its placement ensured that it remained protected, that whatever might befall the Seireitei, this one place, the place where the bulk of the Seireitei's history was catalogued and stored, would remain safe.

And that information was added to and guarded carefully by each Kuchiki clan leader. Of all of his duties as the head of the Kuchiki clan, this was the one closest to Kuchiki Byakuya's heart. Upon being named clan leader, he had been brought into the archive for the first time by Ginrei and had spent nearly a month closeted there with his grandfather, learning the responsibilities that were required in the archive's care and keeping. Because the Kuchiki's were not simply guardians of great power, they were the guardians of history and knowledge. When information could not be found anywhere else, it could usually be found in the seemingly endless shelves of the Kuchiki family archive.

As many times as he had searched those shelves, Byakuya had to admit that he hadn't made a dent in the knowledge contained there…and he knew as well that at such time as he gained that level of knowledge, he would make a good candidate for advancement to an assignment in the Spirit King's dimension. Of course, any such achievement was many years off. But it was a source of great pleasure to Byakuya to be walking that path.

But for the time being, he needed to focus. He had the name of the text he was looking for, which made his work easier, but sometimes the deep, spiritual enchantment of the archive could work against him. It had never done so to him before, but Byakuya was beginning to suspect that the trouble he was having finding the information was being caused by the archive's mission to protect both knowledge and Seireitei. So…if that was true, then it deemed his search for the information dangerous. He understood how that could be, but there was really a need to move forward, to understand his situation so that he could eliminate whatever threat or threats existed.

"The Origin of all Things Hollow," he whispered, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

There was a long pause as the reiatsu swirled around him, then out and away, roaming the rooms and sliding between the thousands and thousands of volumes, moving from shelf to shelf in a slow, methodical fashion. And as the reiatsu search continued, Byakuya conducted a tiring physical search as well, struggling with the feeling that he was fighting this ancient dwelling place of knowledge, that it didn't want him to have the information, didn't want him to know. He was aware that sometimes knowledge was not a good thing…but he had to have knowledge of the Doragon Tatsujin. The spirit was real and had awakened him. It had led him forward in a slow, meandering fashion as he discovered the maddeningly small pieces of information that led him on.

_Why? Why are you fighting me? If I understood why, then I would know what to do. Perhaps I would agree. But you must give me something to help me understand._

The air around him crackled with power suddenly…and he found himself holding a letter in his hand. It was not what he was looking for, but the subject grabbed his attention immediately.

"_I am concealing this here in the archive, in case the Doragon Tatsujin should ever return. This is a warning to he who would bring the myth to life. You are being deceived. The Doragon Tatsujin is not what you have been led to believe. It is a hollow myth…one they protect with great care, because they do not want it remembered by the shinigamis. The Doragon Nikki is a lure, as are any who encourage you to pursue this!_

_I will not live for much longer, because my spirit bonded is lost and I will soon join him in death. Before that happens, I will set down what I remember so that any who follow in these footsteps will know what they face_."

Byakuya sat down in a chair and continued to read. His eyes widened and he felt a cold stab of fear as the words sank in.

_It was all a lie! I was awakened, not to battle him…_

_I was awakened to become him…_

_I was spirit bonded to give me added strength…_

_And I need that strength to…to…_

The papers dropped from Byakuya's hands and fell softly to the floor.

"Kami…I'm not going to fight the Doragon Tatsujin…I'm going to kill the Spirit King!"

He sat in stunned silence, shivering in the cold of his surroundings.

_No wonder the archive fought me! It was trying to protect me from what I am to become. I can't let this happen. I have to find a way to stop it…but how? I need to return to Urahara Kisuke. If anyone can find a way to…_

His thoughts shattered as an explosion shook the hallway outside the archive door. Byakuya stuffed the papers into his shihakushou and flash stepped out into the hallway, then back to the archive door. He burst through and ran into the gardens, chilled by the presence of large amounts of ice all around.

"Rukia!" he whispered in horror.

Rukia and Mayumi were nowhere within the garden. Byakuya reached out with his senses and recognized the presence of a garganta that was in the final stages of closing. His heart sank. There was no question that Rukia was being taken to the Valley of Dragons. He drew his sword and caught the edge of the tear as it sought to close. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about Renji and trying to reach out for him. But there was no answer. It made sense, considering the power exchanged during the battle in the gardens…but still…Rukia was in immediate danger and he could not wait.

There was no choice but to enter Hueco Mundo and trail Rukia's reiatsu to the valley. It was, he realized, a trap, but there was no way in heaven or hell that he was going to let harm come to Rukia. And, he surmised, he was going there without Renji. They could not force him to yield to the Doragon Tatsujin without Renji being there. Perhaps he could rescue Rukia before it all happened. At very least, he had to try.

He forced his way through the garganta with one goal in mind. He had to reach Rukia…before they reached the Valley of Dragons. Once they took her inside, she would probably never leave it again. As he dropped down into the sand, the garganta sealed itself behind him. A chill went through him and the feeling that he was being carefully maneuvered grew even stronger.

But there was nothing else he could do. He was going to have to hope that Renji would realize what was happening and protect himself. But such a thing wasn't likely. As soon as Renji realized where he had gone, he would follow. Their combined strength would have to be enough to overcome the spirit.

Byakuya flash stepped at top speed, sensing that he was closing in on Rukia's fleeing captor. He saw a flash of white hair in the distance and tried desperately to close the distance. Blue fire shot from the other's hand and he was forced to slow and fire a spell in response. As he started to move forward again, menos grande began to rise up in front of him.

Byakuya caught his breath sharply and drew his sword. He rose into the air and slashed at two in his path, then flash stepped through the gap between them. Others turned and fired their ceros at him and Byakuya was forced to turn and block them, putting him farther behind. He turned again to follow Rukia and her captor and found himself facing more menos.

"Kami…I have to get past without fighting."

He flash stepped wildly and broke free of the next group of menos, but the farther he went, the more enemies rose up around him. He raked the area ahead of him with blue fire and flash stepped forward, then slowed to send more blasts of fire into the hollows that continued to appear all around him. He realized suddenly that he was fighting a losing battle. He was falling farther and farther behind Rukia and being gradually worn down by the constant attacks. He knew he couldn't continue to expend such energy.

He turned and shot forward again, but almost immediately felt a cero being fired from behind him. As he turned to block, another blast struck from the side, raking his body and sending him crashing to the ground.

Clawed hands tore at him from every direction, rending his clothing and tearing at his skin. A sudden blow to his head sent him spinning into darkness. He was certain that he was going to die. But then all sound died away and Byakuya heard Hasashi's voice.

"Hold back. Leave him to me, now."

He felt himself being lifted and carried. As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he could hear words sounding in the darkness.

_You are ready now…_

_Rest…_

_When you wake, it will be time…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he passed through the senkaimon and back into the Seireitei with Yoruichi at his side. She matched his pace as they shot toward Kuchiki Manor with one goal in mind…reaching Byakuya and making sure he was protected from the ones seeking to lure him to Hueco Mundo. He still couldn't wrap his mind about how they had been used and misled in such a way. Thinking that they were taking each step to prevent the rise of the Doragon Tatsujin, they now had to contend with the frightening fact that they were, in fact the ones the Doragon Tatsujin planned to use in his quest to kill the Spirit King.

And they still hadn't figured out how Professor Hasashi and Mayumi were related to what was going on. It was relatively certain now that Mayumi was probably going to try to lure Byakuya to Hueco Mundo…but Professor Hasashi was another story. Who was he and why was he so intent on bringing this myth to life? Could the two of them be hollows? Hollows would want the king to die…that was why the hollows had agreed to…

Renji skidded to a stop and Yoruichi slid to a stop beside him.

"Kami, Yoruichi, I know who they must be! Damn! It's so fucking obvious! I don't know why I didn't see it before."

"You mean Mayumi and that professor?" Yoruichi asked quickly, pushing Renji into a walk.

Renji moved, but kept his eyes on her.

"Damn straight! It's got to be Aizen Sousuke and Gin Ichimaru! Don't you see? The hollows chose to work with them because both want the same thing. They want to overthrow the Spirit King! And even though Aizen has a plan to go to war with us, I'm sure he would have looked for other better ways to invade the Spirit King's dimension and kill him. If this works, then Aizen doesn't even have to engage the Seitreitei's forces. All he has to do is to sit back and let the Doragon Tatsujin kill the king for him…then there will be no one to stop him! And Kisuke said that he wouldn't need the King's Key this way. The flight of dragons will blast their way into the Spirit King's dimension."

"All right then," said Yoruichi, furrowing her brow in determination, "I'm flash stepping ahead to get to Kuchiki Manor faster. We need to get to Byakuya as quickly as possible. I will wait for you there."

Renji nodded in assent.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Yoruichi shot forward and raced down the streets of the Seireitei and through the gates of the manor without waiting to be received. She flew through the entry, past the stuttering housekeeper and into the gardens where she slid to a stop and paled as she studied the area. The entire back section had been completely destroyed and was coated in melting ice.

"Rukia!" Yoruichi whispered.

She studied the area and found traces of Mayumi's spirit energy, as well as Byakuya's. She could sense the presence of a garganta that had been sealed recently. House guards approached her warily, but relaxed once they recognized her.

"Has anyone seen Byakuya?" she asked half-heartedly, knowing the response before they said it.

"I am sorry. Kuchiki-sama came into the garden just after this happened and was seen disappearing into a garganta!"

Yoruichi nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yoruichi!" called Renji, catching up with her.

He looked around in dismay.

"What happened?" he yelled.

Yoruichi shook her head sadly.

"It looks as though Mayumi revealed herself. Byakuya came into the garden to investigate this damage and then disappeared through a garganta. Feel the reiatsu. You know why he went…

"Damn!" Renji hissed angrily, "The bastards probably have both of them now!"


	14. Eat the Pure Soul

**Chapter 14: Eat the Pure Soul**

"Yoruichi," Renji said solemnly, "You know that Kisuke said that to cut down on the number of people likely to be used by the Doragon Tatsujin and his lackeys, Byakuya and I have to go on alone."

Yoruichi bowed her head slightly.

"I heard what Kisuke said," she said softly, "and I hate that it must be this way."

She paused, studying him for a moment.

"Go on then, and do what you must. Use what Kisuke gave you to try to help Byakuya defeat the Doragon Tatsujin. It doesn't have to happen the way they planned it, Renji. You and Byakuya are stronger than they are. You two, side-by-side, can defeat anything they throw at you. Remember that."

Renji nodded.

"Well…I hope you're right. I know that I feel stronger when we fight alongside each other. I think we can do this, too."

Yoruichi stepped forward and hugged him.

"You can, Renji," she assured him, "Now go. Our loved ones are waiting for your help."

She released him and watched in silence as he flash stepped away. Once she was sure that he was out of hearing, she summoned a hell butterfly.

_Kisuke, it is as we feared. Byakuya has been led to the Valley of Dragons and Renji follows him. Rukia is a prisoner. I am clear on my mission. I will follow Renji to the Valley of Dragons and attempt to rescue Rukia. Then we will do as you said and remain to make certain that whatever the state of Byakuya and Renji's mission…that the Doragon Tatsujin does not leave the Valley of Dragons alive._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kuchiki Byakuya," Hasashi's voice said, breaking into the semiconscious noble's reverie.

Byakuya's eyes opened. He found that he was lying on his back on some kind of raised platform, looking up into the star-filled night sky and bound securely at his wrists, waist and ankles with strong kido ropes. His clothing had been removed and replaced with an Arrancar uniform. The injuries he had received had been carefully healed and to his surprise, his spirit energy had not been sealed away. Around him, a sea of soft, rasping voices chanted in a low guttural language that was unfamiliar to him. He found the odd sound vaguely unsettling.

"Would you like to know why you are here?" asked Hasashi.

"I know why I am here," Byakuya said, testing his bonds, "Where is Rukia?"

Hasashi leaned over him, smiling tolerantly.

"Your sister has not been harmed. We used only what force we needed to capture her. As long as you do as you are told, Rukia will not be harmed."

Byakuya loosed a shock of spirit energy and flinched in surprise when it did not break the kido ropes that held him.

"You cannot break the power that binds you. The chanting of the hollows maintains it at a level above your ability to shatter it. Believe me, if we were in any danger from your powers, they would be sealed away," Hasashi assured him, "You cannot escape your fate, Kuchiki Byakuya. But before you undergo your transformation, I will answer your questions. As you are about to perform a great service on my behalf, I am feeling generous. So…what would you have me tell you?"

Byakuya considered the question carefully. He knew he was being told the truth about not being able to break his bonds, so that meant that he could not make a move until Renji arrived…but they would also not begin the transformation until Renji came. So, that put them at an impasse for the moment. It made sense to learn what he could about his situation.

"Who are the two of you?" he asked, "because I know you are not who you appear to be."

"Very good question," Hasashi said, nodding affirmatively, "We will show you our true nature then."

Byakuya's eyes widened and shock numbed his restrained form as Hasashi and Mayumi faded and Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin appeared. But, he realized, it made horrifying sense that it would be them. Despite the coming of the Winter War, Aizen would have considered other pathways to his goals…and this was one that had the capability to bypass the need for a war with the Gotei 13.

"I see you had not considered it might be us…but also that, now seeing, this is not a surprise to you. You know then what service the Doragon Tatsujin will perform for me."

Aizen raised his eyes to study the Draco constellation.

"I know you have a love for the stars and mythologies, Byakuya, so you will understand why when I took my place in Las Noches, I studied the local mythology and legends to see if there was anything of use in achieving my goals. It was in that search that I came across the legend of the Doragon Tatsujin. It was one of the many texts I had translated out of the ancient language. I actually set it aside for many years. But then, one day, I felt the opening of the Spirit Link…the one between you and Abarai Renji. That's right, Byakuya. It was you who started all of this. Once I knew that the Spirit Link existed, I went to a set of ancient ruins and, using the old texts, I found the crypt where the shadow form of the Doragon Tatsujin was entombed. The last one like you managed to trap him there…and it was said that when the one came who could open the Spirit Link, the time would come for the Doragon Tatsujin's return. I freed the shadow. I sent it to find you. It awakened you. And you know why now, don't you? You know why that would be of value to me."

"You want me to bring the Doragon Tatsujin into a physical form, that much is clear."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, his eyes gleaming, "I will call him to this place and he will devour your soul. When he does that, he will assume your form and…"

"He will call forth the Dragon Horde to shatter the dimension wall and give the Doragon Tatsujin the ability to reach the Spirit King," finished Byakuya, "In this way, you need never engage the Gotei 13 at all. But I have one question…What if the Doragon Tatsujin does not wish to share power with you after the Spirit King falls? What of your plans then, Aizen Sousuke?"

"That depends on what happens here, Byakuya," Aizen said, gazing into the noble's eyes, "There is some chance that you will defeat the shadow and it will not enter your body. If that happens, you will retain power over the dragon zanpakutous and will be able to call them to the dimension wall."

"And what in kami's name makes you think that I would ever do that for you?"

"Well," Aizen sighed, "first off, I doubt that you will resist being devoured by the shadow. And secondly, as long I have Rukia, you will obey me…to protect her. In addition, you know the power of my blade. You have seen my shikai, so you are subject to the power of Kyouka Suigetsu and will see and experience what I allow you, nothing more. Between those two things, you are the more controllable. So I will offer you this, Byakuya. Agree to assist me willingly and I will help you to overcome the shadow before it can devour you. Either way, I will get what I want, but if you agree to work with me, you will have your life…and I will release your sister and you once the Spirit King is dead."

He met the dark gray eyes solemnly.

"So, what say you, Kuchiki Byakuya? Will you allow yourself to be devoured and your sister to lose her brother and protector, or will you work with me and protect both of your lives?"

Byakuya glared at him coldly.

"My sister and I serve the Gotei 13, in the protection of far more than our own lives, Aizen Sousuke. More than that, the noble houses stand to protect and honor our bond with the Spirit King. As both a taichou of the Gotei 13 and the leader of the house Kuchiki, I refuse. I will defeat the shadow…and I will kill you…as is my sworn duty."

Aizen frowned discontentedly.

"Ah…I imagined you would be less than cooperative, given your status and your excessive pride. So…you choose to try to resist him on your own, bound here…alone."

"You cannot call the shadow here until…"

"Until your Spirit Linked arrives?" Aizen said smiling, "Is that what you think? Of course it is. That is what I wanted you to think. It was a lie. I can call the shadow any time I wish for it to come, for it is not the constellation flare that causes the final battle…It is the battle that affects the constellation. That was another deception. You see, Kuchiki Byakuya, you have been deceived over and over again…maneuvered carefully down this path, brought to this moment to be used for this purpose. Now…if you wish for me to allow Renji to reach you, so that you have some hope of resisting the shadow, then you will agree to my terms. Otherwise, I will call the spirit here now and we will end this anyway. As I said, either way, I get what I want. I would prefer to assist you in return for you assisting me, but since you continue to refuse, you leave me with no choice. Now…I will ask you one final time, Byakuya…Will you assist me in defeating the Spirit King?"

"I will never agree to harm my king, not even when to refuse to do so must cost me my life and the life of my sister. Even being lost, she will understand and forgive me for this, but we would only live together in disgrace if I assisted you only to save our own meager lives. No…the price is too high. I refuse."

Aizen's eyes became deadly and he stepped closer.

"Very well, then. I shall not delay in sending you to your fate."

He withdrew a small, red, wicked looking dagger with a dragon shape for a handle. He moved until he stood over Byakuya, raising the weapon over his unprotected chest.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling dangerously down into the restrained taichou's dark eyes, "This blade will not kill you. It will only open your heart to receive the spirit of the Doragon Tatsujin. In this way, he will enter your body and devour your soul. It will, of course, be quite painful. You have chosen a very difficult path, I'm afraid. You will become a part of him. You will be lost within him. Nothing of who you are will remain. Are you sure you want this?"

Byakuya glared back at him in silence.

He waited in silence, his eyes on the Draco constellation as Aizen and Gin smiled down at him. He kept his eyes there, even as the blade began to fall. And when it reached him, he startled his enemies by maintaining that silence.

Around him the hollows chanted louder and around them, the reiatsu rose and flared. All heads turned as the shadow appeared at the entrance to the Valley of Dragons. He gazed at them through blood red eyes and slowly moved forward where the Doragon Scion lay restrained, with his heart opened, ready to be devoured.

XXXXXXXXXX

Searing pain exploded through Byakuya as the dagger was driven into his heart. He waited for blood to explode outward, but all that emerged was an outpouring of spirit energy. It rose in a silvery line and snaked out of his body, heading away from Aizen and the gathered hollows, across the valley, to where the Doragon Tatsujin waited. It sniffed the air as the silvery substance reached it, then whined softly and slowly tasted it. The shadow moaned in pleasure and began to move slowly across the valley, closing the distance as Aizen, Gin and a host of hollows watched.

Byakuya gasped at the feel of that other's reiatsu as it crossed the valley and closed in on him. It sucked in the released reiatsu hungrily, purring softly with pleasure at the sweet taste of it, moving forward more quickly to taste more. Aizen and Gin stepped back as the shadow reached them, as it paused to look down into the shinigami's dark, pained eyes. Black fingertips extended and lightly stroked a pale cheek, then moved on to brush the eyelids closed. Its touch brought a sharp catching of breath from the restrained scion and the shadow stared down at him. Words sounded in an ancient tongue and Byakuya realized with a chill that now he could understand them.

"Welcome, Doragon Scion. Welcome to the Valley of Dragons. We have waited thousands of years to meet you here…and now our time has come. You have nothing to fear. We are here that we all might be joined together in purpose. We will devour you and make you one with us."

And somehow, he was able to answer them in their own language.

"No! I refuse!"

His eyes opened again and looked up into the empty red orbs.

"I…refuse!" he said again.

The shadow tilted its head slightly, gazing at him in wonder.

"You…do not wish to be one with us? Tell us why, Doragon Scion…"

"I am Kuchiki Byakuya, 28th head of the Kuchiki clan. I am sworn to protect the royal family. I am also the Squad Six taichou of the Gotei 13. I am a protector of the Seireitei and sworn to kill all enemies of that place. I cannot act against them."

The shadow sucked in more of his reiatsu and continued to gaze down at him with a surprisingly affectionate expression.

"You haven't yet begun to understand," it told him, "You are no longer of that place. By coming here to meet us, you have chosen this fate. You have already chosen to be one with us. Resistance does not matter. Your desires no longer matter. You will join with us and you will see. All of your struggles will cease. All of your pain will end. You will find peace in your new calling. You will end the bitter loneliness of your shinigami life and never suffer that loneliness again. Can you not see that this is a better fate for you? Do you not want an end to the pain?"

A black, clawed hand wrapped around the dagger and power exploded around them. It swirled and twisted into a large red sphere that enclosed them and separated them from those without. The red eyes still bored down into Byakuya's and the noble felt the strain of his reiatsu streaming out. He had incredible amounts within him…but the amount was not endless. If Renji did not come…

"Your Spirit Linked will come to us later and will carry us as we travel to the dimension wall…will help us to slay the Spirit King and end his dominion over the worlds. This is our fate…our destiny. You must see that. We will make you see it. We will make you understand."

The shadow leaned over him, wrapping his mouth around the hilt of the dagger and sucking deeply. Byakuya couldn't fight down a shaky, pained cry as the reiatsu began to course out of him and into the shadow. The pressure mounted and his cries rose into a terrified scream.

"Don't be afraid," said the chillingly calm voice, "Embrace who you are. Be with us, Doragon Scion!"

"No…no…STOP!" Byakuya screamed.

He felt himself weakening, and the slow rift forming between body and the slowly consumed soul. Desperate, his mind screamed for Renji…and he heard a faint voice in response.

_I'm here. I won't let them have you, I promise._

"Hurry, Renji, we're out of time!"

Outside the sphere, the scream of the skeletal snake rose over the Valley of Dragons.


	15. In Flames

**Chapter 15: In Flames**

The shadow leaned over Byakuya, oblivious to the approach of the skeletal snake, calmly drawing the reiatsu from the noble's shaking body and reassuring him that nothing would be strong enough to crack the sphere.

"It is over! Embrace your fate, Doragon Scion. Already, your life fades. You feel it…we know that you do."

"Renji…" he whispered, casting the name out like a shield between himself and the seemingly inevitable approach of his death.

Even without being able to see through the sphere, he knew that the stars of the Draco constellation had begun to flare.

"This…is…not…over…" he gasped, straining against the darkness closing in on him.

He drew a ragged breath and panted heavily. A strong vibration began inside and Kuchiki Byakuya had no idea whether it was the beginning of the end or…

Everything around him shook with the power of the cry of the skeletal snake. The scream alone cracked the sphere and the strike of its fang made the redness explode outward. Byakuya felt fire on his skin, and the sudden shattering of the bonds that held him. A strong arm wrapped around his slender waist and lifted him away as the shadow was thrown backwards and away from them.

"You still with me, Taichou?" Renji yelled.

Byakuya tried to form an answer, but his head spun so hard he couldn't think straight.

"Byakuya?!" shouted Renji.

"I…I'm…fine…" he gasped.

His hands rose to the dagger that still protruded from his body. As he touched it, golden lightning shot through it and tore into his hands, sending him to his knees with a sharp hiss of pain. He didn't have to look up to know that the shadow was hiding itself in the dust that had been thrown into the air around them, that it stalked them, that it waited for a chance to strike.

"Wait a minute," Renji cautioned him.

Byakuya froze, staring as Renji grabbed him tightly and gave him a very intense and wet kiss.

"Abarai! What the devil are you…?"

He pulled away, making a disgusted face.

"Abarai! What the…What did you DO?"

He fell to his knees, heat flashing over him and leaving him dizzy and nauseus. Renji smiled good naturedly.

"Sorry, Taichou. It was necessary," he explained, his eyes still watching for their enemy, "Now, try pulling it out again."

Byakuya wrapped his trembling hands around the small weapon and began to pull. As he did, the shadow erupted from the dust cloud beside them, slashing at them and tearing at their minds with a shattering screech.

"Damn!" yelled Renji, wrapping his arm around Byakuya's waist again and lifting him to his feet, "Even that bastard's voice is an attack."

He wrapped a hand around Byakuya's

"Come on, now…on three. One…Two…THREE!"

Byakuya and the shadow both screamed in pain as the weapon slid free of the taichou's shocked body. Byakuya sagged against Renji. Renji tightened his hold on the noble, calling to him frantically as Byakuya fought to remain conscious and the reiatsu leaked from him out onto the ground. His chest heaved under Renji's tightened arm and a chill went through the redhead.

"Byakuya! You have to stay with me! I can't do this without you. I need you to use your kido to create openings for me. I can hit him with my weapon."

"Wh-what about S-senbonzakura?" Byakuya panted.

Renji shook his head and flash stepped just in time to miss an attack of black claws and another deadly screech.

"Mine has been treated with something that allows it to hit the shadow. Senbonzakura can't hit it. I'm going to let go of you and we have to gain space. You hit it with kido and I'll move in to attack. Get some dust stirred up to obscure things first…okay, Taichou?"

Byakuya nodded wordlessly, seeming to collect himself somewhat.

"Byakuya," Renji said, gazing at him, "you look kinda trashed. Can you stay on your feet?"

Byakuya shot him a nasty glare.

"Abarai, just who in kami's name do you think you're talking to? Go!"

The two flash stepped clear as the shadow raked the area where they had just been with black fire. Dust and ash exploded in the air around them.

"Hado #33, Soukatsui!" cried Byakuya, sending a blast of blue fire into the area where he had last seen the shadow.

More dust rose into the air and swirled around them. Byakuya reached out with his senses and moved just in time to avoid the shadow's extended claws. The beast turned and launched itself at him again, slashing and catching him across the chest and face. Blood exploded around him and he was thrown to the ground. The shadow closed in, the red dagger in his hand. Byakuya rolled to his knees and backed away, painfully slowly. As the shadow approached him again, he raised his hands and fired another spell.

"Hado #4, Byakurai!"

The bolt shot out of his hands and forced the shadow to step aside. The move brought it into the path of Renji's blade and black ichor shot from it and rained down onto the ground.

Byakuya forced himself to his feet and flash stepped again, trying to draw the shadow in his direction. He stopped and dropped to one knee, sagging. The shadow's head turned and its lips curled into a cruel grin.

"Byakuya! Look out!" cried Renji.

The shadow shot toward Byakuya and thrust the red blade deep into his chest.

"NO!" Renji yelled, "Bya! Get out of there!"

But he realized a moment later that he needn't have worried as Byakuya materialized at his side and the afterimage he had left near the shadow disappeared. The shadow hissed in fury as the knife dropped to the ground, clanging against the rocks. Renji smiled at his taichou appreciatively, but the smile faded as he recognized the signs of strain in Byakuya's eyes. Byakuya gazed back at him with a shaken, but determined expression.

"We have to end this, Taichou," he said softly, "We don't want to let him wear us down."

Byakuya said nothing, but nodded in assent. He flash stepped away again, firing a stream of red fireballs.

"Hado #31, Shakkahou!"

He dropped as the shadow released a blaze of black fire that singed his skin as it passed over, rolled hard to the side and came to his feet again, firing a binding spell. The kido rope wrapped around the creature and Renji shot forward, landing a solid hit that sent black blood squirting out of the shadow creature. He turned to slash at it again and gasped as he realized it had disappeared. Renji flash stepped wildly, barely moving out of the way as the screaming shadow reappeared and slashed at him wildly with its extended claws.

There was an odd hissing sound and the creature disappeared again. Byakuya froze, his senses extended. Renji turned slowly, raking the area with his eyes and senses as he scanned the area for any sign of the creature. He glanced briefly at Byakuya and caught his breath sharply as the noble dropped to one knee. Flash stepping, he gained Byakuya's side.

"Byakuya, let me try to heal that while he is…"

"No," the noble hissed, his breath coming in short, hard gasps, "We can't afford to be distracted. It's watching us."

"Taichou…you're not going to stay on your feet unless we stop the drain on your power. At least let me give you a small reiatsu infusion…please…"

Unable to answer, Byakuya nodded and scanned the area around them carefully as Renji poured reiatsu into the still opened wound. A few seconds later, Byakuya gave a hiss of warning and flash stepped away as the shadow re-formed and came at Renji, slashing. The redhead's sword was in hand and slashing instantly. He just missed the shadow, but sent it slightly off course and directly into the path of Byakuya's binding spell. Renji flash stepped forward and slashed, scoring another hit before flash stepping away. The shadow creature swayed slightly and Byakuya hit it with another binding spell. Renji slashed at it again, but realized mid-swing that it had broken the kido and was slashing at him as well. He changed course and tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over, before coming to a bumpy rest in the rocks.

Behind him, he heard a satisfied hiss and Byakuya's sharp, pained cry. He leapt to his feet, flash stepping forward, then froze as he caught sight of the shadow creature holding Byakuya by the throat and tightening its claw. Byakuya gave a choked cry and kicked angrily at the shadow creature, only succeeding in causing it to tighten its grip. Byakuya's eyes drifted closed and his body went limp. The shadow creature threw him to the ground and knelt next to him.

"Hell, no!" screamed Renji, flash stepping and swinging Zabimaru, "not while I'm still alive and breathing!"

His strike severed the hand that held the red dagger. The shadow screamed, forcing Renji to step back and cover his ears, then slashed at him, scoring a hit across the redhead's chest. A crimson splash appeared on his chest and blood began to run down his body. He flash stepped to the unconscious noble's side and checked for signs of life. He was breathing, but unconscious. Renji's eyes picked up motion in the distance and realized that the shadow was preparing to strike again. He noticed that the chanting he had heard from the nearby group of hollows had gone silent. The creatures were starting to move. Knowing he would soon be outnumbered, he did the only thing he could.

"Ban kai! Hihio Zabimaru!"

The skeletal snake screamed to life. As it left him to strike at the shadow and to rake through the encroaching hollows, Renji gathered himself for the shift to dragon form.

"Doragon Nirro Dokuro!" he cried.

A huge rumble sounded around the skeletal dragon, then it exploded outward, sending a huge shockwave in all directions. An earthshaking cry rose out of the debris as the skeletal dragon broke free and rose into the air.

The black shadow turned, hissing in fury and rose into the air, heading toward the great beast and slashing with its remaining claw. The two forces collided, each drawing blood, then soaring away, turning and coming back in for another attack. They met again in an exchange of powerful screams and slashes, sending a shower of red and black blood raining down onto the sand and rock beneath them. They turned toward each other again and charged.

Renji felt an incoming kido spell and altered his course.

"Byakuya!" he cried happily, as he spotted the noble back on his feet on the ground beneath them.

The kido spell struck the shadow creature, stalling it and sending it into a long plummeting dive toward the ground. At the last second, it swerved toward Byakuya, the red blade extended in front of it. There was no time to think, so Renji sent the skeletal dragon screaming toward them and launched himself at Byakuya.

Everything moved in slow motion for Renji as he watched realization spread over Byakuya's face and the noble employed a brutally fast flash step. He barely made it clear as the skeletal dragon collided full force with the shadow and grabbed the creature in its teeth, biting down hard and shaking it. The black creature's lips curled into a final, evil smile and it suddenly exploded in a deadly red fireball. The explosion shattered the skeletal dragon, sending it spiraling toward Renji and crashing down into him before he could move. The dragon exploded in a flash of white and red fire, enveloping Renji and the screaming, dying shadow beast and sending Byakuya tumbling to the ground, where he came to a shuddering stop and fell frighteningly still. Deadly silence fell over the battlefield and the gathered hollows bowed their heads and began to disappear one by one.

Finally, only Aizen and Gin remained on the battlefield. Aizen moved forward and approached Byakuya's still form. He knelt next to the noble, studying him carefully. He was still breathing, but his chest moved unsteadily, rattling with each inhale. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth and beneath the bruised skin, Aizen sensed that more than a few bones had been shattered.

"He's a mess, Sousuke," Gin observed, "Are you quite certain he is worth trying to save at this point? It seems it would be a lesson in futility."

"He can be healed sufficiently for the next battle. I will be at his side when he faces the Spirit King. Together, we will destroy the king, even without his Spirit Linked."

"Shall I search for Abarai Renji in the wreckage?" Gin asked as Aizen set to healing Byakuya.

"No…Abarai Renji is nothing…and he is either dead or dying. We don't need him anyway. Our only concern is to keep Byakuya alive."

"But I thought that he could not live without his Spirit Linked…"

"That is not true. Byakuya's power is still greater than Abarai Renji's. As long as that is true, then Byakuya can live, even if Abarai dies, though if Byakuya were to die, Abarai would not survive."

"Ah…I see," Gin said, looking around, "So…what do we do about the fact that Rukia disappeared during the fighting? How will you control Byakuya, once he is healed?"

Aizen placed his hands on Byakuya's chest, sending healing reiatsu into the noble's shattered body.

"Kyouka Suigetsu will provide what control I need. He won't know that Rukia was rescued. He will believe she is still my prisoner…and with the power of Kyouka Suigetsu controlling him, he will be too spellbound to resist my will anyway. We have what we need."

He let the light fade from his hands.

"I've healed the worst of it. The rest can be done upon our return to Las Noches."

He lifted Byakuya's unresponsive body into his arms. A flash step later, they were gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

"STOP!" screamed Rukia, "We have to go back! Please, stop!"

Yoruichi slid to a stop and opened the garganta, then forced the struggling girl into it.

"We can't go back," Yoruichi said sharply, "You don't understand. It's too late. We have to get to the Seireitei and warn Soutaichou about the attack on the Spirit King. Rukia, you need to go to Ukitake Taichou and inform him about this. The Gotei 13 has to be prepared or the Spirit King will be killed! I will get the message to Soutaichou, but you must report this to your taichou."

"What about my brother? What about Renji? Yoruichi, they left Renji to die! And they are going to make Byakuya attack the Spirit King! Our own troops will be ordered to kill Byakuya!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Yoruichi panted as they raced through the precipice, "I don't want anything bad to happen to them any more than you do, but it is our duty to warn the forces that protect the king. Once that is done, we will go and search for Renji."

"But what about Byakuya?" Rukia cried, her voice trembling, "He only went there because of me! I can't let him die this way, Yoruichi. I'll never be able to live with myself!"

Yoruichi nodded with understanding.

"Then I will make this agreement with you. When we have reported this, you will go in search of Renji and I will go after Byakuya. Rukia, if they can be saved, we will save them…I give you my word!"


	16. Layers of Illusion

**Chapter 16: Layers of Illusion**

Renji groaned softly and opened his eyes, surprised at how quiet the battlefield had gotten. He did a quick bodily inventory and found that although the shadow creature had managed to draw quite a bit of blood and drop a ton of debris on top of him, it had fallen well short of killing, or even nearly killing him. The hardest part, he decided, would be dragging himself out from underneath said pile of rubble and finding Byakuya. He knew better than to call out to his taichou. If Byakuya was mobile and not calling him, it meant they likely had to concern themselves with hollows in the area. And if Byakuya wasn't mobile…well, that wasn't something he really wanted to deal with while still trapped.

He maneuvered himself slowly, twisting and turning…working his way gradually through the dirt, rocks and bones. He kept his breathing soft and quiet, his reiatsu low and he listened carefully as he extricated himself.

His first act upon freeing himself was to verify that there were no hollows around. Then he searched the area around him enough to conclude that Byakuya had indeed survived…and had been carried off in the direction of Las Noches. He considered for a moment returning to either the living world or the Seireitei for assistance, but he had a sense that if he fell too far behind the ones hauling Byakuya off to Las Noches, he wasn't likely to see his spouse alive again.

He checked himself carefully, binding up anything likely to leak too much blood or reiatsu and turned in the direction of Las Noches. As he started across the battlefield, he found a dark, heavy cloak that had been abandoned by one of the enemies. Shaking out the dust, he swung the heavy material around his shoulders and let the hood fall into position, obscuring his face. Reaching out with his senses again, he verified the position of the nearest hollows and started toward Las Noches.

His body still ached from the punishment it had endured during the battle…and he knew that Byakuya's injuries had been even worse. Fortunately for Byakuya, it seemed that Aizen Sousuke had a plan in mind that required keeping him alive. And Renji was fairly certain he knew what the plan was. Aizen had originally been planning to wake the Doragon Tatsujin and use the beast to attack the Spirit King. The shadow beast having been defeated, the next logical step would be to heal Byakuya and use Kyouka Suigetsu to manipulate him into calling the dragon horde to attack the king. And Renji decided that he would let the hollows fry him up and eat him for dinner before he'd sit back and let that happen. The trick was to get as close as possible and watch them…An even better trick would be…to infiltrate Las Noches.

Renji was pretty damned sure that _Byakuya_ would fry him and eat him then and there if he ever suggested such a thing…but his taichou being carried away by Aizen Sousuke necessitated a somewhat different approach than his stoic taichou would have suggested. As he closed in on the fortress, Abarai Renji clung more and more closely to the shadows…little more than a shadow himself in the dark, lonely environs.

_Byakuya…hang in there. I'm coming for you…_

He wondered if his Spirit Linked could hear him…but something told Abarai Renji that he wouldn't be able to get through to Byakuya as long as he was in Aizen's hands. He planned to make certain that was as short a time as possible.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke leaned over Byakuya and lifted the kido shield. It was a preventive measure meant both to contain the recovering noble and to prevent others from harming him. With the amount of power Byakuya wielded, the Espadas were hungry for a confrontation…or, because Byakuya was currently unfit for battle, a feasting on his flesh. There was no way that the leader of the hollows would allow it to happen. He had worked too hard and had sacrificed too much to lose his chance at obtaining his goals now.

And this man was his key to everything…more so than the 'king's key' he had planned to make. Byakuya's ascent as Doragon Tatsujin meant that he needn't create the king's key, needn't cross swords with the members of the Gotei 13 in order to become king. All he had to do was to keep Byakuya alive, and to heal him sufficiently to lead the dragons against the king.

_And then_…

Then, he realized, his plans had taken a new turn. Because, here before him lay a man truly worthy of him, one wielding reiatsu near to the level of his own, but captured and wrapped in Aizen's power. He was beautiful, of course, but with Aizen Sousuke, beauty was not a thing that was skin deep. And Byakuya had inner beauty and power beneath the deceptively delicate looking exterior, traits that Aizen Sousuke found intoxicating. He gazed down at the sleeping noble and wondered what it would be like to sink into that soft, pale flesh, to hear the low, lovely sound of his voice whispering his affection as Aizen claimed his body, his heart, his very soul. He was definitely more than a step up from the men having positions closest to him now…and that, he knew, would lead to problems.

He felt Gin's eyes on him and turned to check the monitors, listening to the sounds they issued with each beat of Byakuya's heart. He had to be cautious. As much as he was pleased that Byakuya had eliminated his need to engage the Gotei 13, he had to keep in mind that Gin and Tousen were all too aware that the development limited their own usefulness, raising the likelihood that before Byakuya led the dragon horde against the Spirit King, they would suffer a very dark fate.

It made sense for them to have such concerns. When the people around Aizen Sousuke were no longer useful, they did tend to die…often suddenly…usually violently. He let his fingertips brush against a fallen strand of Byakuya's hair…out of Gin's field of vision. While those others might have need of such concerns, Byakuya would not need to worry. He had no end of uses for Byakuya.

But there was one use in particular that Byakuya alone could be put to.

It was lonely being the one in control, having to constantly watch his back, knowing what would happen if he lost focus for a moment among creatures like the ones that surrounded him. He indulged in them, of course. Every man had needs. But he never looked into their eyes as he took them, he always looked down on them, and he never ever fell asleep with one of them in his arms. When he slept, Aizen Sousuke slept alone. But once Byakuya was deeply controlled, once he was convinced to raise the dragon horde and to attack the king, once Aizen won his throne, then Byakuya would be the one to fill the space beside him. And he would fall asleep with this man in his arms. It was lovely to think of…but he pushed the thought away so as not to lose his focus. He needed Byakuya to heal before anything else.

But that was taking time. Byakuya had been badly damaged in the battle to defeat the Doragon Tatsujin's shadow form. And there was still some time and healing necessary before the mission to the spirit dimension could be carried out. Aizen Sousuke planned to make the most of that time. He kept Byakuya carefully suspended in semi-consciousness as he healed the wounds and slowly wove a web of illusions around him. Beneath the power of Aizen Sousuke's kido and illusions, Byakuya began to dream.

_He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the blurriness. Someone was sitting next to him. He realized with a start that it wasn't Renji and sat up too quickly._

_"Try to relax, Kuchiki taichou," said Unohana taichou's calm voice, "You have been unconscious for quite some time."_

_She eased him back down into the bed. He looked around the room and started to rise again, but was stopped by the fourth division taichou's extended hand._

_"But this is…"_

_"Yes, we are in Hueco Mundo."_

_"But that means…are we…prisoners?" he asked._

_"Actually, we are not," she assured him, "As I said, you have been unconscious for some time. You must allow me to bring you to awareness of what has occurred since your injury."_

_"I know that I was injured battling the shadow form of the Doragon Tatsujin," he offered._

_Unohana nodded._

_"Unfortunately, when that battle ended, you were taken by Aizen Sousuke and kept here. You were not seen again until our forces entered Las Noches to release any prisoners and to burn it to the ground. It is assumed that Aizen Sousuke was trying to heal you, but at some point, he ended his efforts and merely made you comfortable."_

_"Our forces stormed Las Noches? Then…the war is over? Aizen Sousuke is dead?" Byakuya asked, sitting up._

_The healer's head bowed._

_"After your disappearance, the war continued for nearly a decade. It only ended once he succeeded in penetrating the dimension wall and attacking the royal family."_

_"He breached the dimension wall…then…he created the king's key?" Byakuya asked, his face paling, "Does that mean that Karakura Town…?"_

_"It was destroyed and all of our operatives there were killed…"_

_"Urahara Kisuke? Yoruichi? Even Kurosaki Ichigo? What about Renji? Where is he?"_

_Unohana stood and started toward the door._

_"Rukia waits to see you. She can explain what has happened a bit more clearly."_

_Byakuya stared in confusion as the healer left and closed the door behind Rukia as she walked in. Rukia walked slowly toward him, and he could see on her face the strain of the loss of her friends. She looked like a small black-clad wraith, so lifeless was her expression. She reached him and looked down into his eyes…and he could feel the tears aching to break free, but she held them back…or, he wondered, was it more true to say that she simply had no tears left?_

_"Rukia?" he said in a barely audible whisper._

_She said nothing at first, but simply stared into his eyes as though uncertain whether or not to believe that he really lay there…alive and healing. And why should she not feel that way? According to Unohana, all of her friends were gone…_

_Byakuya sat up very slowly, reaching a pale hand out to take hers._

_"Rukia…" he said again, "Rukia…I'm…sorry."_

_Rukia blinked and looked confused._

_"Nii-sama…I can't believe it's really you! Nii-sama! Nii-sama!"_

_She buried herself in his arms crying piteously. Byakuya held her against him, letting her release all of the heavy emotion…waiting to know the fate of his other loved ones. He stroked her hair gently, letting her tears seep into the front of his yukata._

_"I'm sorry, Nii-sama," she sobbed, "I know you hate it when I shed tears, but…"_

_"I understand," he said softly, "Do not hold them back this time…Rukia."_

_And he found that he was terrified to ask the question that he knew he must_.

"Rukia," he whispered, still stroking her hair, "Rukia…where is Renji?"

_The young woman sobbed harder, holding on to him tightly and apologizing to him over and over for her weakness._

_"It's all right," he assured her, "You have endured a great deal in my absence."_

_"We tried so hard to find you! We…we found Renji…b-but he, Nii-sama, Renji was already dead! And we searched and searched for you! Y-yoruichi and Ichigo…Rikichi…so many people tried to find you. But we could find no clues…not even a reiatsu trail! And then, Aizen destroyed Karakura Town and…oh, Nii-sama, it was horrible…awful…"_

_Byakuya's heart had frozen at the words…_

_Renji was already dead…_

_Renji was dead…_

_"Renji…" he whispered into Rukia's hair._

_It was no longer clear to him just who was holding whom._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you all for gathering here so quickly," Soutaichou said to the gathered taichous, "I have received grave news and we are now in a position in which we must act quickly to avoid disaster. Information provided by Shihoin Yoruichi reveals that Aizen Sousuke has been secretly seeking a means to avoid a direct conflict with the Gotei 13 as he seeks to break into the spirit dimension to attack the Spirit King. She also reported that he has succeeded in finding one who can help him with his plans."

He frowned at them thoughtfully.

"You may remember the day that Kuchiki Byakuya affected the zanpakutou, Hyourinmaru during our meeting. It has been reported that this was not an isolated incident. Shihoin Yoruichi also provided evidence that this ability was brought about by the waking of a hollow legend…a creature that attempted to house itself in Kuchiki Byakuya…enabling him to control all dragon type zanpakutou. It is suspected to have been Aizen's plan to use this creature to call forth and control the dragon zanpakutous and use them to breach the dimension wall. Fortunately for us, Kuchiki Byakuya was able to destroy the creature…but what remains troubling is that now he has, himself, become a part of Aizen Sousuke's plans. For even though the shadow beast has been destroyed, Kuchiki Byakuya still retains the ability to call out and control the dragon zanpakutous. And after his battle, he was taken by Aizen Sousuke to Las Noches. It is our suspicion that as soon as Aizen succeeds in healing him sufficiently, he will use his Kyouka Suigetsu to control Byakuya's mind. It is in this way that he intends to gain the control he needs to call forth the dragons. We must not allow this to happen."

"But…how can we stop a dragon horde?" asked Hitsugaya taichou, frowning down at his zanpakutou.

"It will be difficult to stop once it has risen. It is my plan, therefore to send a team to Las Noches to watch the fortress and to warn us if they see anything that suggests that the plan is about to go forward. Also, our squads will double our patrols of the dimension wall area. It is unlikely that they will make the attempt without scouting out the area first to make their plans. We must be ready."

"And what if we encounter Byakuya?" asked Ukitake taichou worriedly, "Must we…"

"If he is alone, you may attempt to make contact and communicate with him to discover his intent…but if he is with our enemies, we must treat him as one of them. Of course, if there is a way to take him into custody without violence, it should be used, but it may be that violence is unavoidable. Proceed with extreme caution if you encounter him…and be prepared to use deadly force if you must to protect the king."

"So what you're saying," said Zaraki taichou, "is that we may be forced to kill our fellow taichou."

"If there is no other way," said Soutaichou firmly, "then yes, you must."

"Just wanted to be sure," said Zaraki taichou, smiling, "wouldn't want to go and kill him by mistake or anything."


	17. Lost Soul

**Chapter 17: Lost Soul**

Aizen Sousuke walked calmly alongside a silent and deathly pale Kuchiki Byakuya, sighing in frustration. Although every injury had been addressed and there seemed to be no explainable reason, the noble's systems were slowly failing. In truth, he looked more wraith than shinigami now. He refused to eat, barely slept and sat for hours each day by the window in his room, staring out into the swirling sands. He rarely spoke and sometimes Aizen would hear soft sobbing inside his room at night.

"Completely unacceptable," he muttered, "This isn't going to work with him being so lifeless."

He tried to ignore Gin's triumphant stare as they passed, Aizen trying to think of a way to bolster the noble's strength and Byakuya believing that he was merely walking alongside whoever he chose to show the noble.

"Unohana taichou," Byakuya said, very softly, breaking into his reverie, "I don't understand something. I know that you have said that Renji died long ago. I do not mean to imply that I refuse to see the reality in that…but…sometimes, I feel his presence. Sometimes…I hear his voice calling me. I understand that this must not be real…but what I do not understand is why it continues to happen. Is it perhaps the Spirit Link? Is it because our souls were bound to each other? Unohana taichou, am I dying?"

Aizen looked into the deep, gray eyes and smiled warmly.

"You are not dying," he assured the noble, "You are only still adjusting to the loss. You must give yourself time, Kuchiki taichou. After all, even though Renji has been dead for many years, you only woke a few days ago. Your Spirit Link is only now beginning to shut down. This is why you are having such symptoms. They will ease soon. But you must come with me now to see Soutaichou. Something of importance has happened and we are going to need your help."

Byakuya nodded silently and followed him into the throne room. Byakuya moved forward and knelt in front of Aizen's throne. The leader of the hollows adjusted the illusion and moved around to the other side of the room, walking past the throne and coming to a stop in front of the spellbound noble.

"Byakuya," he said quietly.

Byakuya looked up at him, his eyes calm and respectful as they perceived the visage of Soutaichou.

"I thank you for coming to me so soon after your waking. I know that you are not yet fully healed and that you have had much to take in. I understand you are in turmoil. Still, I must ask you to act quickly on behalf of all the ones we have lost and to give us one last opportunity to undo what Aizen Sousuke has done. You command the dragon horde. Your defeat of the Doragon Tatsujin means that his powers have been given over to you. Byakuya…we need you to shatter the dimension wall…and to attack Aizen Sousuke in the spirit dimension. We have enough power to assist you, but you are the only one who can break through and get us inside now. I used to have knowledge of where the key was hidden, but he moved it upon his ascent to kingship. He has disbanded the Gotei 13 and has sent his forces to massacre the former king's noble houses. Your noble peers are putting up a brave struggle, but you know that the true strength of the nobles lies with your house…and it has been in disarray since your disappearance. They were unable to determine whether or not you lived, and so chose to select a new leader for the clan. He is strong, but he hasn't your capabilities. They will not hold out long without you. The noble houses will certainly fall if we do not act soon."

"Soutaichou," Byakuya said calmly, "I will, of course do as you have asked. I am uncertain how exactly to call the dragons…"

"I may be able to help you, but we must do this as soon as possible."

"Hai, Soutaichou," Byakuya said, rising to his feet.

He swayed unsteadily and Aizen groaned inwardly. He barely reached the noble by the time he lost consciousness and fell. He caught Byakuya and swept him into his arms, carrying him out of the throne room and back to the infirmary. He set the noble down gently and motioned for the healer to join him.

"I need him to be functional for my plans to work! And it cannot wait. Heal him. Get him on his feet…and I want him to have enough in him to raise the horde for the attack. Whatever happens after that happens, but we cannot delay anymore. They will be preparing to intercept us…and I do not want this to turn into a prolonged battle. I can hide us from the enemy's eyes, but I must have his power to control the dragons!"

The healer nodded.

"And you shall have it, Aizen-sama. I will put all of my effort to healing him as soon as possible," he promised, "I only ask that you realize how badly damaged he was and that such damage takes time to heal. You understand the need to take proper care with his healing. He will do you no good if he collapses once the dragons are called. They would go out of control entirely and would just destroy everything in sight. Patience, you will have your Dragon Master soon."

Aizen nodded.

"Make it very soon…" he said, turning away.

He sighed softly and gave the noble one more glance before turning out of the infirmary and starting back toward his room. About halfway back, an idea struck him that sent him flash stepping back to the infirmary. He dismissed the healers from the room and drew his weapon.

"You said that you still see visions of Renji," he murmured, "Well, perhaps I can use that to work in my favor…"

He lifted his zanpakutou.

"Shatter, Kyouka Suigetsu."

XXXXXXXXXX

He knew he had to be sleeping as soon as he saw Renji leaning over him. The redhead took his hands and smiled warmly at him, and not wanting to let go of the dream, Byakuya allowed himself to be raised and gently kissed by his dead lover and spouse.

"Byakuya…"

_The noble felt tears in his eyes, but he met the other's gaze longingly and there was a sob in his voice as he called his lover's name._

"_Renji?"_

_Warm arms wrapped around him and it was just as he remembered. He let his head fall onto Renji's shoulder and breathed in his fiery scent._

"_I know this is a dream, Renji," he whispered into the redhead's ear, "but kami, I miss you!"_

_Calloused fingers sank into his hair and the redhead planted a line of kisses down the length of his throat._

"_I haven't left you, Byakuya," the redhead murmured against his skin, "I will always be with you and try to help you. Even dying can't keep me away from you. I love you too much to abandon you like that. There is a part of me that was safe inside you when I died…and it's that part that is still with you, trying to help you. You have to listen to me. You have to get stronger. Rukia needs you…everyone needs you. Byakuya, you have a power that can bring down Aizen Sousuke. You have to fight…to become strong enough to use that power to defeat him. Right now, you're struggling because you just woke up and got hit with a whole lot of losses…but I know you. I know exactly how strong you are. You can do this. And I promise…I will stay with you and help you through. It isn't 'until death do us part' with us, Bya. I'm never leaving you."_

"_Renji," Byakuya whispered, a tear running down his face, "Aishiteru yo."_

"Aishiteru yo," Aizen Sousuke whispered, leaning forward and kissing the noble's forehead.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji knelt behind a clump of boulders and looked down at the fortress. He dropped down onto his stomach and watched closely as the guard changed and the ones who came out paced in their set patterns. It wasn't hard to remember the patterns. They seemed pretty standard…and it wasn't long before he found a visual hole in their view, one he could exploit when the time came to enter Las Noches.

But before he could do that…he had to find a better way to conceal himself. As soon as he set foot in the fortress, he would be expected to shed his cloak…and Aizen knew him. He had to either avoid the traitor or be pretty damned sure that he could fool him. He climbed to his feet and studied the area around him. The sand stretched out in every direction broken here and there with clumps of rocks and shattered bones. He slipped away and started to sift through the bone fragments. Unfortunately for Renji, most of the fragments were too small and brittle to be useful.

Then, he spotted a nearby cave. He moved toward it silently and with purpose, feeling confident he would find what he needed inside. When he reached it and stepped inside, he was certain that he had.

Bones laid everywhere in the cave…large enough and not so dried out as the ones exposed to the elements outside of the cave. He picked through them and managed to find enough usefully sized and shaped bones to fashion his own 'hollow' mask. He shed his shihakushou and found some threadbare clothing still attached to the dead hollows lying around. As he finished setting the last bone fragment and piece of clothing in place, he silently wondered what kind of hollow had eaten the rest of these.

A moment later, a huge, bulky shape surged up from the midst of the bones and gave him an answer he really did not appreciate…

XXXXXXXXXX

"He is much improved now, Aizen-sama," the healer said, studying the pale shinigami who rested comfortably on the cot in front of him, "I don't know what you did, but his vital signs began to improve immediately. And his powers are beginning to return. Would you like me to seal away his spirit energy again?"

"No," said Aizen calmly, "such a thing might upset the delicate balance here. I have him under my control. Leave him with his powers. He will use them only on my command."

"Hai, Aizen-sama."

"Well," said Gin's voice from the doorway, "It looks as though your plan to use Byakuya to break into the spirit dimension is well underway. Should I be worried?"

Aizen smiled.

"Why would you worry about that, Gin? I have need of you and Tousen Kaname in the battle. Byakuya is fit enough to command the dragons to attack, but he, himself, will need to be protected from the skirmish. I will be protecting him while the two of you lead our forces against the Royal Guard. They will likely be upon us very quickly. I plan to use the dragons to break in…the two of you to distract the Royal Guard and the dragons again to clear a path to the king."

"But have you considered the Gotei 13? I think they probably know about Byakuya being this 'Doragon Tatsujin' by now. They are likely patrolling the area heavily…and expecting an attack."

"It does not matter what they expect," Aizen said, eyeing Byakuya thoughtfully, "They cannot stop and attack force that they cannot see. I will cover our entrance into the spirit dimension and use a diversion to stave them off and give us time to reach the king. I assure you, they will not be able to gather their forces to make any kind of coherent attack. They will try, but they will fail…and the Spirit King will die before he knows what hit him."

"It sounds like a good plan," Gin said, grinning, "but how will you hide both the dragons and our hollow forces?"

"I don't plan to," said Aizen quietly, "I will only conceal the dragons. The hollows, I want them to see."

"Leave our hollow forces visible and vulnerable?" asked Gin, looking offended, "That's not very nice of you!"

"Please! With the help of the Espadas, the hollows should be able to hold off the Gotei 13. Then, when we penetrate the wall, you and Tousen will engage the Royal Guard, concealed by my zanpakutou. That way, Byakuya and I can lead the dragons on to the palace and engage the king."

"Hmm…" said Gin, "It sounds like a wonderful plan. I do hope it works as you mean it to. I mean, who's to say that your dear Byakuya won't get wise to the fact that everything around him is a lie? It would be dreadful if, instead of sending the dragons after the king, he sent them after you!"

"That would be troublesome, but I assure you, it isn't going to happen. I have this well thought out…and as long as everyone behaves _as anticipated_, we will have no trouble overcoming the king and seizing power. After that, it is a simple matter to lock down the palace and to begin to arrange things the way I want them."

"Like I said, a good plan," agreed Gin, "if it works…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stumbled out of the cave and collapsed near the entrance, panting and clutching Zabimaru. He growled in frustration, shoving the weapon back into its sheath with a loud click.

"Damn! That was annoying."

_Annoying and almost costly. I can't afford to battle any more hollows. I haven't recovered enough to take on all of the hollows on Las Noches and Aizen too. I have to get to Byakuya and get the fuck out of here!_

He turned his gaze back on the fortress, watching the guards carefully. There was no point, he thought, in delaying the inevitable. He already sensed troops coming out of the shinigami base in the distance. He didn't want to still be outside the fortress when they arrived. They would kill him on sight, dressed as he was.

He moved down off of the hillside and slowly made his way forward, staying in the shadows as much as possible. The guards moved in their slow, repeating pattern, leaving him just enough time to slip past without being seen. He quickly concealed himself behind some boxes he had spotted earlier, and looked around. As it was fairly late, the receiving area at the back of the fortress was deserted. He streaked silently through the area and entered through the kitchens.

He breathed a sigh of relief that the kitchens were also empty and silent. He moved carefully now, reaching out with his mind and touching gently on Byakuya's. The noble, it seemed, was either sleeping or unconscious. Renji felt a pang of sadness as he realized that Byakuya was dreaming of him…but there was something wrong about the dream. He furrowed his brow and sank into a dark corner. He focused harder on the dream his life partner was having and his frown deepened.

"That son of a bitch!" he whispered, "He's using me to set Bya up to kill the king!"

He turned into a hallway and began searching for the infirmary. He imagined that, being as hurt as he had been, Byakuya might still be there. If not, he could move on to the living areas and search there.

"Hey there, lend me a hand, will you?" said a gravelly voice.

Renji jumped and turned in surprise.

"Sorry!" he said, tilting his head, so that the mask obscured his features, "I…"

The hollow shoved several boxes into his hands.

"Thanks," the hollow said "I have to get this stuff to the infirmary right away or the creep in charge will have my head!"

Renji nodded and used the boxes to conceal himself even more. He followed the hollow down the hallway and into the infirmary, his heart in his throat and hoping like hell that he wouldn't be discovered.


	18. Seeing Through

**Chapter 18: Seeing Through**

Renji quietly pulled his sword from the body of the hollow he had just killed and quickly concealed him behind the stacks of boxes they had delivered to the infirmary. He regretted not finding a better place to stow the body when he realized that there was no good way to escape the closet and get to Byakuya. But after several hours of waiting, the sounds in the outer room faded and Renji slipped out from behind the boxes and peeked out into the hallway. The area was deserted except for a guard on what he assumed would be Byakuya's room. He looked around and found a mop and a cleaning cart. He rolled it out of the closet and down to the guarded room. He tilted his head forward and let his long hair fall over his face, obscuring what the hollow mask didn't.

"Cleaning service," he told the guard in a rasping voice.

The guard gave him a bored look and nodded. Sighing in relief, Renji entered the room and found Byakuya sleeping in the bed. He abandoned the cart and moved to the bed.

"Byakuya," he whispered, taking the noble's pale hand.

He caught his breath softly, noting how cold and damp his skin felt…and taking in the abnormally pale face and skin.

"Byakuya…wake up," he whispered urgently, shaking him gently.

The noble's eyes opened, but the pupils were dilated and he wore a look of hurt and confusion.

"R-renji?" he said in a choked voice.

"Yeah," the redhead said softly, "It's me. I promised I wouldn't leave you in their hands. I came to get you out of here!"

"B-but…I can't…leave. Soutaichou has ordered me…to lead the dragons against Aizen Sousuke. He has infiltrated the spirit dimension and has taken over. And the only way in…is by shattering the dimension wall."

"No," said Renji softly, "Listen carefully, okay? Aizen Sousuke is trying to trick you."

"Renji? I miss you…"

"I'm right here," Renji said, tears coming to his eyes, "I came to get you out of here, but you have to trust me, okay. You're not seeing reality. It's all Aizen's illusions."

"Renji? Renji…I…"

"Byakuya…look at me, please."

"R-renji…" the noble said, losing consciousness again.

The redhead looked around desperately and shook his head in frustration. He looked back at the cleaning cart and an idea came to mind. He emptied the trashcan on the cart and moved back to the bed. He sent his reiatsu into the unconscious noble's mind, pushing him into a deeper sleep, then lifted him gently and carried him to the big trashcan on the cart.

"S-sorry, Bya," he muttered apologetically, "but this is the only way I can think of to get you out of here and back home again. Just…relax and I'll have you back home in no time!"

Shaking his head and praying silently that Byakuya wouldn't cut him to ribbons for it, he piled light bits of trash over the top of the noble and then wheeled the cart to the door. He held his breath as he left the room, but the guard merely looked up at him and nodded again as he rolled the cart away. Renji pushed the cart down the hallways until he reached the place where he had entered the fortress. He lifted Byakuya out of the trashcan and flash stepped like hell. He already knew there was no chance of secrecy, so he didn't waste his time. He ran harder as the alarms in the fortress sounded and he began to hear the snarls and howls of pursuers. He turned toward the shinigami fortress, moving as fast as his flash step would carry him.

About halfway to the safety of the shinigami fortress, he felt Aizen Sousuke's power sweeping over the desert. He pushed himself harder, forgetting all else in a frantic effort to reach the base. On his shoulder, Byakuya stirred and moaned fitfully.

"It's okay, Bya," he reassured the noble, "We're almost there!"

"N-no!" moaned Byakuya, beginning to struggle, "No! Let me go!"

"Byakuya…please don't freak out now!" he pleaded softly, "If he catches us…he'll really kill me. Don't get us caught! Bya…please!"

"R-renji?" Byakuya moaned, "Renji…why do I still feel you here?"

"I am here," Renji insisted, his eyes tearing again, "It was all lies he told you. Somewhere inside you've got to know that! Think, Byakuya! The spirit link…it's still here!"

He felt Aizen's eyes touch them and suppressed the rising panic inside himself. He stopped talking and threw everything into crossing the last bit of desert. But as he closed in on the base, it shimmered and disappeared.

"No!" he gasped, "We have to get out of here!"

He felt Byakuya's face burrowing into his hair.

"Renji…my Renji," he whispered incoherently.

He spotted a cave and flash stepped to it. Inside, he found a secluded corner and set up a reiatsu cage. He pulled Byakuya inside and closed it just as Aizen's reiatsu reached the area. From within the cage, he could look out and see into the valley outside the cave. Aizen stood near the entrance, waiting as the area was thoroughly searched.

"We can't find them anywhere, Aizen-sama," one of the hollows said.

"Well then…keep looking. I sensed them here."

"They must have escaped through a senkaimon or private garganta. Or perhaps they are hiding in a reiatsu cage somewhere, but…they are out of our reach for now."

"Hmph," Aizen huffed, "Perhaps they are for the moment, but Byakuya is still mine. I still have power over him…and he will come to me when everything is in place. I will make him come to me!"

Aizen's voice faded and the sounds of the searching hollows became muffled. Renji turned his attention to warming some water he carried in a small pack with a kido spell and then making two cups of green tea. He moved to Byakuya's side and lifted him gently, then brought the cup to his lips. The noble sipped at the tea without opening his eyes. He let his head drop against Renji and the redhead heard a soft sob.

"What is it?" he asked, making a small kido ball to light his face.

"It…it's just like _he_ made it!" Byakuya whispered, his face going ghostly white and his reiatsu dropping dangerously.

"I'm sorry," Renji said, putting his hands on the noble's face and staring into his tormented eyes, "I hate that he hurt you like this. Please hear me…Byakuya…I'm right beside you."

"I…can smell his scent in the air. I feel him here!" Byakuya exclaimed softly.

"Yes," Renji whispered, a tear running down his cheek, "I _am_ here."

He leaned forward and kissed Byakuya.

"Don't worry. We're going home and we'll find a way to make his illusions go away. I promise."

He held the noble against him, stroking the long silken strands of black hair and resting his face against Byakuya's damp forehead.

"Damn! You must feel awful…taking all of that damage in the battle, then having that son of a bitch twist your mind in knots! You should get some more sleep. I'll keep watch. When I'm really sure they're gone, we'll leave the cave and try to find the base. He distorted everything so it's hard to tell which way to go…but I'll figure out a way. I'll get us out of this, Bya. I will!"

"R-rukia?" Byakuya called softly,

Renji shook his head sadly and gently induced unconsciousness. He lowered Byakuya to the cave floor and moved so he sat with his back against the wall of the cage, and looking out the cave opening into the dark desert. He let several hours go by, then cautiously opened the reiatsu cage and stepped out of it. He carried the still sleeping noble in his arms and moved achingly slowly up to the ridge of the small valley they were in. He reached out with his senses, then shook his head in annoyance.

"I suck at reiatsu sensing…"

He glanced at Byakuya.

"I wish you were awake. You could figure this out."

All at once, Renji frowned thoughtfully.

"Huh…I suck at reiatsu sensing, but you don't. I wonder if…I mean your mind is not able to focus…but if I can see through your eyes, maybe I can use your senses. Except that Aizen has thrown off our senses. But…maybe he didn't throw off all of them…maybe he was focused mostly on the obvious."

He turned slowly in a circle, isolating each of his senses as much as he could and trying to sense large clusters of shinigami reiatsu. He repeated the attempt trying to use Byakuya's senses and found little difference. He looked around in frustration.

"Damn…" he whispered, "We're lost out here. We need something to…"

He dropped down into the cover of some rocks as a group of hollows passed by. They joked and laughed as they opened a garganta and passed into the precipice world. Renji waited until all of them had entered the rift, then lifted Byakuya and carried him inside. He was careful to remain far behind the hollows, but once inside, tried to gain a sense of what direction would be best.

"Not that it matters terribly much," he muttered to himself, "Once we're out of Hueco Mundo…we can use a senkaimon…"

He heard voices and ducked into a side tunnel, watching as more hollows passed by, these talking softly about their mission to 'find the shinigami.' Renji shuddered softly. They wouldn't give up easily on finding Byakuya. Aizen had Arrancars everywhere, looking…in which case, they had to be on their guard even when they were back in the living world. He chose a pathway that took him away from the sounds of the hollows and left the garganta at the entrance to a park. He realized suddenly that they weren't far from the university where they had been assigned.

"Oh…this is good," Renji said, flash stepping along the streets with Byakuya still in his arms, "I parked my car at the university. We can get it and make a run for Urahara's shop. I'll bet that Kisuke can help us!"

He stopped talking and focused on covering ground quickly. Not long after, he turned a corner and found the car parked in one of the university lots, where he had left it. He opened the passenger door and set Byakuya in the seat, leaning in to fasten his seatbelt. As he moved around to the driver's seat, he heard a sharp exclamation.

"That's him!"

Instantly, Renji was in the driver's seat of the little black convertible and was speeding down the street in high speed and stealth mode.

"We're almost there, Byakuya," he said to the senseless noble, "We'll be at Urahara's shop in just a few…"

He trailed off as hollows began to appear in droves all around the speeding car. To Renji's surprise, although the little convertible passed through material world things, it slammed against the bodies of the hollows, shaking the small vehicle and throwing hollows in all directions.

"Shit! I didn't know the stealth mode only worked against living world stuff! Guess I should have paid better attention when Taichou told me how it worked!"

The convertible shot forward, weaving though the impossibly small openings and speeding past. Soon, the pursuit fell behind and they were alone again on the deserted road. Renji turned onto the street Urahara's shop was on and dropped off of high speed mode. The engine quieted to a whisper and Renji breathed a sigh of relief. They were almost to the shop, when out of nowhere, a menos grande appeared in front of them. Renji swerved to avoid the hollow and the convertible clipped its foot, sending the little car spinning out of control. Renji released his restraints and Byakuya's and pulled him out of the still spinning car as the menos screeched and brought his foot down on it.

"You son of a bitch!" yelled Renji, holding Byakuya against him, "That was my wedding present!"

Renji turned and flash stepped, closing the distance between himself and the shop. The door opened and Kisuke and Yoruichi swept out and attacked the menos, destroying it quickly and leaving the street quiet again. Renji looked back at the crushed convertible and groaned.

"Fuck…I LOVED that damned car!"

Yoruichi smiled sympathetically.

"Better the car than you," she said pointedly.

Then she saw who the redhead carried in his arms.

"You found him!" she gasped.

"Yeah…I think Aizen Sousuke is a little pissed at me for that!" laughed Renji.

"I guess," muttered Kisuke, sheathing his blade, "Come on. Let's get him inside.

Renji carried the still-unconscious noble inside and set him in a comfortable bed. Kisuke leaned over him, sending his reiatsu into Byakuya's body and frowning thoughtfully.

"He's really out of it," Renji said quietly as Kisuke worked, "Aizen had him surrounded in illusion. He convinced Byakuya that he was Soutaichou…and he ordered him to raise the dragon horde to shatter the dimension wall!"

"It's a good thing you were able to get him out of there," said Yoruichi, "No one else was able to get close to him…and Soutaichou found out he'd been captured and said the if he could be saved, fine, but if he raised the dragon horde, the taichous were required to kill him."

"Well…" said Kisuke, "We have him physically, but I am a long way from knowing how to break through the illusions. It's going to take time. I think it would be best to take him back to the Seireitei."

"Why?" asked Renji worriedly, "They'll probably take him into custody. He's in no shape for them to be handling him!"

"But they have something in the Seireitei that we don't. They can put him in the Repentance Center."

"The…WHAT?" Renji yelled, "There's no fucking way!"

"Renji," said Kisuke, "Listen…the Repentance cell blocks out all spiritual energy. Kuchiki taichou will regain his senses."

"But he'll also be weakened by that place! He'll be essentially defenseless if Aizen…"

"Aizen won't try to break him out."

"But then what?" argued Renji, "Even if he is safe from Aizen in there, he'll still be a target whenever he comes out!"

"I don't know!" Kisuke sighed in frustration, "There has to be a way to shut down his Dragon Master abilities. If we can find that, he won't be useful to Aizen…and the bastard will leave him alone."

"Okay…so we need to find information."

"But it's a hollow myth…and although I have access to a lot of that type of information, it will take time to research it. Renji…we need to take him to the Seireitei and have him put under guard at the Repentance Center!"

Renji gazed at the unconscious noble, then looked back at Kisuke, sighing in resignation.

"Okay…" he said, lowering his eyes, "I guess I see your point."

"Good decision," Kisuke said, nodding, "I'll contact the secret mobile corps and get us an escort. Aizen will know we have him…and where he will be, but it will be hard for him to break into the Repentance Center, considering his powers won't work in there."

"Hopefully, that will be enough to hold him off until we find a way to control Byakuya's Dragon Master abilities."

"Hopefully," repeated Renji half-heartedly.

But he knew better than to hope that it would be that easy…


	19. Last Wish

**Chapter 19: Last Wish**

Renji woke to find himself still sitting up in bed and suffering from a stiff neck from the position he'd been sleeping in. Byakuya still slept against his shoulder, and when he shifted, he was surprised to find evidence of tears on the shoulder of his uniform. He turned the noble's head slightly and found streams of tears had leaked onto his face, and although his eyes were closed, there was an awful tension in his body. He tried using the relaxing touches he had used to make the noble fall asleep before, but at the feel of them, Byakuya's eyes opened and, although they remained hazed, they tried to focus on him.

"Renji…" Byakuya moaned, tearfully, "I can't stand being away from you like this."

"I'm right here," Renji whispered in his ear, "I'm still with you."

"But you're just a shadow," Byakuya sobbed softly, "You aren't real. And I need for you to be real, right now."

"I am real. And soon you'll know that. It won't be long until you're in the Seireitei and when we get to the Repentance Center, Aizen's illusions will fade, okay? Hang on."

"Renji…you know I'm dying."

"What?" Renji whispered in shock.

"I can't live without you. I love you too much…and our link is too strong. I can feel that I'm dying, even if no one else knows."

"Just be calm and try to sleep, okay? I'll have Kisuke check you out again."

Byakuya moved so that his fevered cheek pressed against the redhead's.

"I know I said I wouldn't mention it until our first anniversary, but since we never reached it, you should know…I was looking forward to having children with you. And Kisuke's notes said that one of us would have to carry the child. The elders, of course, thought it would be scandalous for a clan leader to bear a child, so they insisted that I should convince you. But the time we spent together in Karakura Town gave me time to think…and I was going to go back to them and insist that it was too much to ask for you to carry our child. I could see that you were uncomfortable with the idea, and I didn't want the bearing of our child to be a burden to you. I wanted the coming of our child to be a time of great joy for both of us, so I was prepared to go back and defy the council so that I would carry our child instead. Then…things began to happen too quickly…and then you were lost."

Renji took the noble's face in both hands and met his tormented eyes, kissing him until he went silent.

"Don't talk to me like you're dying," he said, hoding Byakuya tightly, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

The door opened and Kisuke stepped into the room.

"How is he feeling?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Not good," Renji answered, "Kisuke, could you check him again? His reiatsu seems really weak, even considering how badly he was wounded."

"Sure thing," the shopkeeper said, flash stepping to the bed.

Renji moved to allow him to examine the noble.

"So?" he asked, after a few tense minutes, "What's happening? Is he all right?"

Kisuke frowned and shook his head.

"His reiatsu is in decline."

"What?" Renji asked, shocked, "Kisuke, when you examined him before, you said he would be okay!"

"I know," acknowledged the shopkeeper, "but what I just found was that when Aizen had the hollows heal him, he apparently didn't give a shit if Byakuya lived, just so long as he lived long enough to raise the dragons. They used an infusion of unstable reiatsu. It bolstered his power and helped keep him alive this long, but now the instability is causing his reiatsu to break down."

"What?" Renji asked, his heart pounding, "Can you stop it? Can you save him?"

Kisuke frowned more deeply and bit his lips.

"I don't know. I'll try. But I have to work quickly. We have to get him out of here and to the Repentance Center, for his own protection. You don't know this yet, but while you guys were sleeping, Aizen locked down all gargantas and he attacked the Seireitei. Naturally, during the attack, Soutaichou ordered the closure of our senkaimons here. Aizen has sent hollows here several times, and each time, the attacks are stronger. Pretty soon, the bastard will come after Byakuya, himself. So we have to stabilize him quickly and get him to the Repentance Center, where Aizen can't get at him."

"Can't Yoruichi open a family senkaimon?"

"She's in the Seireitei, helping defend it. We'd use Byakuya's, but he's too out of it to open the thing. So, we have to wait."

Renji let out a frustrated breath and looked down at Byakuya's ghostly, pale face. He watched as Kisuke worked feverishly to try to stabilize the noble, and could see, after a time, the desperation in the shopkeeper's expression, the frustration as he tried repeatedly to bring the noble's condition back under control. Finally, he sat back, shaking his head and sighing.

"I did all I could," he said defeatedly, "He's more stable than he was, but Renji, anything can tip that balance. He might not be able to survive being in the Repentance Center. That place suppresses reiatsu. It will free his mind from Aizen's grasp, and will stop the effects of the unstable reiatsu they infused him with. But it will also cause strain on his systems that could cause everything to give way. I'll be honest with you. I think that it's really dangerous to move him."

"But he can't stay here, because sooner or later, Aizen, himself, will come after him, ne?" Renji added.

"Yeah."

"Kisuke, thank you for trying."

"Sure," the shopkeeper said in a lost sounding voice, as he turned away.

"Wait, I need to ask you something," the redhead continued.

The shopkeeper gazed back at him, his eyes widening as Renji's words settled over him. He listened quietly, then looked from the redhead to Byakuya and back again.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "You're not just doing this because…"

"Byakuya isn't going to die," said Renji, his eyes flaring, "and even if he does, he won't be alone. Just…tell me if it's possible? Can you…?"

"Yeah. There should be time before the 'all clear' is sounded and the senkaimon opens so the secret mobile corps can reach us."

"Maybe it's kinda crazy," Renji said, running his fingers through the semiconscious noble's hair, "but…"

"But that's the kind of thing you do for someone you love," the shopkeeper finished, "Okay…I'll go get things ready and I'll be back in few minutes."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji rested quietly, holding Byakuya against him and running his fingers lightly through the silken black hair and over the exposed, soft, pale skin.

"Not long now. We'll get you back to the Seireitei. Once we're in the Repentance Center, you'll be able to think clearly again. And all of this will be like a bad dream."

"I miss you, Renji," Byakuya whispered, "I still hear your voice."

"That's right," the redhead said, kissing him, "That's because I'm still here. Still here, and not going anywhere. I promise."

"I'm glad you came back," the noble went on, "even if it's only in my mind."

He winced and moaned softly. Feeling an odd shift in the reiatsu, Renji lifted his head and looked down at Byakuya. To his surprise, the dragon tattoo on his chest was pulsing softly, the pink light making the skin around it glow.

"Byakuya?" he whispered, "What's happening?"

The noble moaned again and his fingers strayed to the dragon tattoo. He rubbed it gently and shifted uncomfortably.

"Bya?"

"He's calling…" Byakuya whispered.

"What?"

"It will be time soon to raise the dragon horde."

Renji frowned and shook his head.

"No way. We're going to get you to the Seireitei, and then that guy will have no way to reach you."

The door opened, and Kisuke and Tessai entered the room. Tessai pushed a small cart through the door and brought it to the edge of the bed. Kisuke began to rustle about the items on the table as Tessai set Byakuya in soft restraints.

"We'll need to restrain you as well for the procedure," he said.

"Why?" asked the redhead worriedly, "It's not gonna hurt real bad or anything, right?"

Kisuke chuckled.

"No, it won't hurt badly, but I will knock you both out so you won't be uncomfortable while it's going on. You'll just feel a little pinch as we put you guys under."

"Ah…uh…hey," Renji said, swallowing and starting to climb out of the bed, "On second thought, uh, maybe we should wait. I mean, Byakuya said we shouldn't do this until later, like after our first anniversary."

"Aw, don't chicken out now, Renji. I told you that it won't hurt," Kisuke assured him, "Now, hold still while…"

He broke off as the redhead pulled away from him and began to back away.

"Now, Renji," Kisuke said, "as I recall, you were the one who wanted to do this. Isn't that right?"

He backed Renji into a corner and smiled at him.

"Weren't you the one who convinced me with your teary-eyed story to attempt this? Am I wrong? Wasn't that you? What's the matter? I told you that except for the shot to put you out, you won't feel a thing."

He raised the syringe and Renji blanched.

"Y-yeah…uh, about that…"

"Aw, you're not scared of a little needle, eh, Renji?"

"Damn it!" Renji flared, "I think you like picking on me! Kissing toads with virus's and sticking me with needles? What are you? Are you some kinda sadist or something? You like scaring the shit out of me?"

"Are you scared, Renji?" Kisuke asked, smirking, "Scared of this little needle?"

Tessai took hold of the redhead and held him still as Kisuke closed the distance between them and the needle bit into him.

"Oh…oh, hell," Renji muttered, his legs collapsing.

Tessai and Kisuke exchanged amused glances and shook their heads as Tessai caught the fainting man.

"Really, Renji?" Kisuke chuckled, "The guy gets cut up by swords and doesn't bat an eye, but show him a needle and he faints like a flower!"

He gazed down at the unconscious redhead as Tessai placed him in the bed next to Byakuya and set him in soft restraints.

"Better get used to that, Abarai-san…"

"So Boss," asked Tessai, "Why the restraints? The reiatsu extraction is easy and painless, ne? Does the rest of the procedure get invasive?"

"Not so much for Byakuya as for Renji," said Kisuke, "but it might be a little embarrassing for them if they were awake…and Byakuya's so out of it, he couldn't really cooperate anyway. So, to get the physical essence requires stimulation of the sexual response cycle. I just give them a little mental nudge and they will provide what we need pretty readily. The tricky part is the placement of the reiatsu chamber in Renji's body. It has to be placed precisely or it will interfere with his spirit centers as the reiatsu grows stronger."

"Ah, I see."

The two fell silent as Kisuke leaned over Byakuya first, then Renji, collecting the reiatsu samples.

"Boss," Tessai said softly as the shopkeeper returned to Byakuya, "Do you really think Kuchiki taichou will die?"

Kisuke gazed down at the noble's pale face.

"I don't think he will. I think he's too damned stubborn," he answered quietly, "but we need to be sure that we do our best to make them comfortable, so they can handle the shit they have to. And if this gives the two of them more to fight for, then it's worth it, ne?"

He sighed softly.

"Besides, they're friends. And let's be honest. I think they both really want this. Renji just needed a nudge to help him get there. He's crazy about Byakuya. I think he was just intimidated about the idea of carrying a child. What guy wouldn't be, ne? But Byakuya being hurt so bad put things in perspective for him. Yeah…this is the right thing to do, no doubt. Now, watch him and make sure he doesn't seem to get uncomfortable."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji opened his eyes and found himself sleeping, comfortably curled in Byakuya's arms. Except for a slight headache and a light ache in his belly, he felt perfectly normal.

"How are you doing?" asked Kisuke, smiling, "You feeling all right?"

"Huh," chuckled Renji, "I'm fine, I guess. I feel kinda embarrassed about before, though."

"Don't worry about it," Kisuke laughed softly, "Tessai and I will keep it to ourselves. We promise. You just take care of yourself and your taichou, eh?"

"I will," Renji said, nodding, "Have you heard any word from the Seireitei?"

"The senkaimon should be open now, and the secret mobile corps was already at the gate, waiting for it. They should get here any minute."

"It's funny," Renji mused, "Usually those second division guys scare the hell out of me, but this time, I'm really glad to see them."

"Heh," chuckled Kisuke, "I guess there's a first for everything, ne?"

They broke off as the door opened and Soi fon entered the room. She gazed down at Byakuya and ordered her group to bring a stretcher. Renji climbed out of bed and dressed in his shihakushou as the secret mobile corps carefully prepared Byakuya for the trip home. He moved out of the room to join them as they opened the senkaimon and stood back to let them through.

"Now, remember," said Kisuke, touching the redhead on the arm, "You are just at the beginning and you won't have any real noticeable symptoms right off, but you'll need to take care of yourself. Eat right, get plenty of sleep when you can, and avoid the worst of the fighting."

"I'll do what I can," Renji promised, "And…thanks, Kisuke. Byakuya is going to be really happy when I tell him."

"Yeah," said Kisuke, smiling widely, "I'm sure he will be. Take care, and stay out of trouble."

"Sure," Renji said, following the second division group into the precipice world.

Their protectors formed a tight circle around them as they passed through the long, dark tunnels, their footsteps echoing in the darkened passageways. Several times, Renji sensed eyes watching them, but no one challenged them as they made their way back into the Seireitei. They passed out of the gate, and Renji frowned as the damage Aizen's hollow attack had caused came into view. Crews scrambled to repair damage to their defenses and healers were carrying away the last of the injured. They passed through the entry gates and made the long walk back to the Repentance Center. Renji stayed beside the stretcher that held Byakuya, only leaving his side as the noble was carried into a cell inside the center and left there, with the cell door open.

Unohana taichou stepped inside and spent nearly an hour carefully examining and treating Byakuya, then turned to Renji.

"Abarai fukutaichou," she said, smiling, "He seems to have improved, despite this place putting some strain on his systems. I think he already senses the lifting if the illusions."

"Is he going to be okay?" Renji asked worriedly.

"I believe so," the healer told him, "I will be back soon to check on him again. In the meantime, you should eat and rest. I am certain that you have spent so much time worrying about him that you will have forgotten to take care of yourself. I will have food and tea brought."

"Thanks," said Renji, taking a seat next to the noble.

He watched as the healer left and the guards settled into place at their posts.

"You're safe, now," he told Byakuya, "Aizen can't get to you in here. Now, just wake up, so you can see I'm still here."

As if in answer to his words, Byakuya's eyes opened and gazed questioningly up at him. He blinked several times and tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"Renji?" he whispered, reaching out to touch the redhead's face, "Is that really you?"

Renji grinned.

"Yeah, it's me. You're home now. We're here in the Repentance Center, so Aizen's illusions can't fool you anymore."

"His illusions…" the noble repeated, swallowing hard at the memory, "Renji…I thought that you were dead. I really thought that you…and Karakura Town…almost everyone I knew…was gone."

"It was a lie," Renji said, wrapping his arms around Byakuya and holding him tightly, "It was all a big lie, but now you know. And you know I'm here…and I'm not letting him get his hands on you again!"

Renji was nearly made breathless as Byakuya's arms returned his tight embrace and the noble began kissing him almost frantically.

"Renji…" he whispered between kisses, "I don't know how you got me out of there and back here, but…I will never forget it! Aishiteru yo, Renji."

"Aishiteru yo, Byakuya."

Renji paused and looked into the noble's relieved eyes and found himself wanting more than anything to make Byakuya smile again. He took his lover's face in his hands and kissed him, then pulled away, smiling.

"There's something I want to tell you," he said, taking Byakuya's hands in his, "I did something a little reckless while you were out of it. I hope you're not mad."

"Something more reckless than bursting into Las Noches and stealing me from the very teeth of the enemy?"

"I thought you were unconscious!" objected Renji, "How do you know I broke you out of Las Noches?"

Byakuya chuckled softly.

"I wasn't unconscious the whole time. I was conscious long enough to know I was being taken to Las Noches. It was only after that, that Aizen used his powers to confuse me. So…what did you do that was so reckless?"

"I, uh…kind of made a decision about our future."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I know we agreed not to talk about it until our first anniversary, but…"

Byakuya's eyes registered understanding.

"You…thought I was dying, didn't you?" Byakuya said softly, "You went through with it because you thought I was dying and you…Renji, what an unbelievingly insane and…heedless thing to do! Now? In the middle of all of this chaos? You couldn't wait five seconds and think this through? Abarai…?"

"What? You're mad at me?" the redhead said, his face falling.

Byakuya laughed softly and pulled him close.

"No, baka, I'm not mad at you. I just…can't believe you did this! Are you sure you're ready for this? It's quite a big change."

Renji smiled and nuzzled closer to the noble, guiding his lover's hand down to his warm abdomen.

"It may be a big change, but it's going to give us something to fight for."

"No," said Byakuya, gazing deeply into his lover's red-brown eyes, "We already had something to fight for. Now we have even more to protect."

"And we will. I promise, we will!"


	20. Resistance

**Chapter 20: Resistance**

**(This is an all new chapter! Thanks so much to AngelaMaeAmatuzio, Nazrita, TomyAllen, and Shenigmatic for their enthusiastic support as I got this one going again! It is on the home stretch now. Enjoy the new chapter!) **

Byakuya and Renji looked up expectantly as the sentries outside the open cell parted and the captain commander joined them, accompanied by Unohana taichou. He looked from Byakuya to Renji, then nodded solemnly.

"I am glad to see that the two of you have returned safely, and that your presence here has defeated the hold that Aizen Sousuke had over your senses."

"I would not have returned at all, but would be under Aizen's power still, and headed for the dimension wall, if not for Renji's actions."

"Yes," Yamamoto said, eyeing Renji disapprovingly, "I have heard all about your fukutaichou's unauthorized actions, and while I find them reckless, I understand the loyalty, no...the love that made him act as he did. While I do not condone relationships between officers, I am willing to concede that sometimes, the heart has ways of acting on its own. In any case, it seems your close bond has saved Kuchiki taichou and returned him to us. I am grateful for that. But we must turn our eyes to the future. I do not know if you are aware, but Aizen has surrounded this area with powerful hollows, and he just sent a messenger to inform us that he is planning to attack."

"I guess we don't have to ask why," Renji muttered in a disgusted tone, "That bastard never gives up!"

"He needs me for his plans, if he is to move forward," Byakuya acknowledged softly, "And being unable to use his powers of deception to capture me while I am in here, he has no choice but to either lure me out or storm the Repentance Center."

"It does not even matter what we do," the captain commander said, shaking his head, "Because if one does not work, he will turn to the other method. I think he will toy with us first, trying to infiltrate our ranks to get inside and abduct you. He will use a direct attack as a last resort, because he knows that the fight would be a long an arduous thing that would rob his side of numerous soldiers as well."

"So, what are we gonna do?" Renji said, looking alarmed, "Because, it sounds to me like all he has to do is to get a guard to let him in, or to infiltrate a group entering or exiting the center."

"Unless," Byakuya said quietly, "we do not _have_ personnel moving in and out of the center."

"What?" Renji objected.

"We are essentially under siege conditions," The captain commander said, meeting Byakuya and Renji's eyes meaningfully, "The center has been isolated and locked down. We were able to bring in supplies that will last us for several weeks. And while we remain here, Urahara Kisuke is working on finding a way to shut down your dragon calling powers."

"Soutaichou," Byakuya said, looking out the window at the dark shapes of the approaching hollows, "there is something that might alleviate the situation...if it is possible."

"What is that?" asked the old man.

"You know of the Kuchiki family archive. If there was a way for Renji and me to get to it, we would be untouchable for the duration of the siege, and in a better position to assist in the search for information."

Yamamoto shook his head firmly.

"There would be no way to guarantee you safe passage to Kuchiki Manor. Once you left the confines of the Repentance Center, you would be at the mercy of Aizen's abilities. No, I am afraid that our only option, at this point is to remain here and defend you from being taken by the enemy. You know that, if taken from us, you would be as one of them, and we could be forced to destroy you. I do not want to be forced to have to do that, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"I understand," Byakuya said quietly, "But you must understand that Aizen Sousuke sees victory looming closely. He will not waste time. If there is no one coming in or out of the center, and our forces are able to hold them at bay, he will have some other way to get to me. I do not know what method he will use, but he will have one."

"Huh," Renji huffed softly, "If it was Zaraki taichou, he would just bust the shit out of the place with his bare hands. The rest of us would have to rely on bombs or something..."

Byakuya's eyes widened suddenly, and he moved to the window, looking out at the carefully positioned hollows that awaited Aizen's command. Yamamoto followed the path of his eyes, his own narrowing in fury.

"He is going to bomb the center!" the captain commander exclaimed.

As he spoke, bat-winged hollows rose up from every direction around the center, carrying something in their clawed hands and feet.

"Remain here, and do not follow me, no matter what happens!" roared Yamamoto, breaking for the stairs, as fast as his legs could carry him.

He burst out of the cell and ran to the staircase that led to the top of the tower, his hand on his zanpakutou. With each step, he expected to hear the sound of the bombs striking home, but although he heard the protecting forces firing salvos at the incoming hollows, the bombs had not yet reached them, even as he reached the top of the tower and pelted through the final door and onto the roof of the center. He found the one place not made from sekki sekki stone, a small wooden platform that held the standard of the Gotei 13. Touching down on the platform, the old shinigami flash stepped high into the air, his heart pounding at seeing how close the hollow bombers were to reaching the center.

"All things in the universe turn to ash!" he cried, "Joukaku Enjou!"

Flame exploded around the old man, blazing in a downward arc, all around him and capturing the arriving hollows. Horrified screeches shattered the air as the fire swallowed up the hollows that had closed in. The ground all around rumbled and shook forcefully as the bombs they carried exploded well short of the fire-encased Repentance Center. Inside the fire shield, Yamamoto laughed in defiance.

"Your bombs are useless now, Aizen Sousuke!" he snarled, his eyes reflecting the blazing fire all around him.

Inside the shaking structure beneath the captain commander, Byakuya came to his feet, staring at the conflagration of fire outside the windows.

"What the hell?" Renji breathed, his face going white, "Is that...soutaichou's...?"

"His special ability," Byakuya confirmed, "He has used Ryuujin Jakka to seal us inside a barrier of fire."

He looked around them, noting the intensifying heat.

"We must evacuate to the safety chamber!" he said, meeting Unohana taichou's eyes meaningfully.

"Kuchiki taichou is right," she affirmed, "Even though the bombs cannot come through the shielding, the center is being shaken with great force. It could come down from that alone."

"Yeah!" said Renji, shaking his head and coughing as dust erupted around them, "And I'll just bet our buddy, Aizen, knows that!"

"I am sure he does," Byakuya agreed, "But, there is a room on the bottom level of the center that is prepared for just such an eventuality. It does not sit directly below the tower, but is offset and well shielded. We must lock everyone inside! Let's go."

"Whoa, hey, where do you think you're going?" Renji chuckled, sweeping the protesting noble into his arms, "you're still not fully healed, because with us being in here, the healers couldn't finish. Let me..."

"Put me down, Abarai!" Byakuya snapped viciously as the laughing redhead carried him down the stairs, "You are going to either drop me, or go tumbling down the stairs. And in your condition, you could endanger our baby!"

"Hey, I'm not _that_ pregnant, yet," Renji objected, "And I'm not that clumsy, okay?"

He frowned at the skeptical glare Byakuya gave him.

"Oh, don't even go there, Taichou!" the redhead snapped, "If I'm so clumsy, then how in the hell did I bust into fucking Las Noches and break you out, huh? You wanna tell me that? I'm NOT clumsy! Just..._unlucky_, here and there is all!"

"Just don't have one of your _unlucky_ moments here, or we will both be extremely sorry."

"You're gonna be sorry, if you keep sayin' shit like that to me," Renji fussed, reaching the bottom of the stairs and pausing, "See, I got us here in one piece. And you..."

He broke off and set Byakuya back on his feet as the ground under their feet began to shake violently.

"What the hell?" the redhead hissed.

"Everyone run!" Byakuya called out, as he broke into a run and fled for the protective chamber, with Renji and Unohana taichou on his heels.

The shaking grew more violent with every racing step, and the heat from Ryuujin Jakka flared all around them as the group closed the distance and Byakuya threw open the door to the safety chamber.

"Quickly, inside!" he shouted, waiting as the others dove through the doorway.

"You go on, Taichou," Renji said, shoving the noble through the door, then diving inside and kicking the door shut as an ominous groaning sounded, then a deafening pounding shook the chamber, making choking dust rise around them. The lights flickered and went out as the roar continued and the group covered their faces against the thickening dust and ash that assaulted them. They burrowed down in the corners of the room, protecting each other as well as they could as the chamber door shattered, and rock and debris poured inside, burying some of them.

"Byakuya!" Renji cried, hanging on for dear life as the debris struck the two and tore them away from each other.

"I'm all right!" Byakuya called back, shielding his head against the falling bits of rock and wood, "Renji?"

They went silent as a final roar went through the chamber, and the ceiling at the center of the room broke apart, sending more dirt, rock and debris pouring in on top of them. Renji screamed the noble's name as debris rained down and several more desperate screams sounded. Then, the horrid rumbling stopped and the area went ominously quiet.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know, you probably just killed Kuchiki taichou, right along with the rest of them," Gin said, gazing at the ruins of the Repentance Center, "And won't the rest of the protective forces just sweep in and attack while we try to dig him out?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Gin," Aizen said smugly, "I used my Kyouka Suigetsu to mislead the defensive forces. They have gone off into the distance, and are capably defending an empty field right now. And as for Byakuya, I can feel his reiatsu. He isn't dead. But, he, and the ones around him were rendered unconscious by the final collapse of the center."

"And Soutaichou?"

"Unconscious...over that way. Why don't you see if you can find him and finish him off while I find Byakuya."

"Oh, very well," Gin sighed, turning away.

Still smiling, Aizen walked slowly through the debris, honing in on Byakuya's softly pulsing reiatsu. Fires still flickered all around him, and raised voices sounded in the distance, where the hollows kept the shinigami forces busy. He reached the far side of the ruins and looked around.

"That chamber would be aside from the main building and protected by the smaller section, just here," he muttered to himself, studying the area carefully.

He found a caved in area and slid down into the opening, emerging in the breached chamber that held the unconscious shinigamis. He invoked his zanpakutou and began to search.

_The sekki sekki rock in the debris may hamper my powers a bit, but with the building down, they will work well enough for this._

He spotted Byakuya's collapsed form, partially buried in the debris, and hastened to him, watching closely, the unconscious others around him. Byakuya stirred and groaned, and Aizen murmured a soft reassurance, using his weapon to make his voice sound like Renji's.

"Hold still, Taichou, I will have you out in a flash."

"R-ren...ji..." the noble whispered dizzily.

"You're gonna be fine. We're okay now. But we have to get going. Aizen's got what he wants and he's going after the king. The only way we'll catch up is if we use the dragons. Can you summon them?"

"T-too close," Byakuya panted dazedly, "Too close to sekki sekki rock. Have to...get farther away."

He loosed a pained cry as Aizen pulled him free and leaned over him, invoking his healing power and addressing each injury.

"It's not workin' as well because of the sekki sekki rock," Aizen complained in Renji's voice, "But I'm gonna take you a little farther away so that you can call the dragons."

Byakuya screamed in pain as Aizen lifted him, then seemed to lose consciousness.

"That's probably better for now anyway," Aizen said, carrying him out of the wreckage.

He came to a stop as Kurosaki Ichigo appeared in front of him.

"Put him down," Ichigo said, drawing his weapon, "I'm not letting you take him."

In Aizen's arms, Byakuya let one gray eye slide open and gazed dazedly at the shinigami substitute.

_Something is very wrong! I thought I was in Renji's arms. But...am I in Renji's arms, and Aizen is trying to fool me? Or am I in Aizen's arms, and that is Aizen over there, pretending to be Ichigo? _

_What is really happening?_

_But wait...!_

_If...if I know the person I'm looking at very well, then I should be able to see through the illusion!_

He studied the face of the man holding him, at first, only seeing Renji. But slowly, as the man backed warily away from the shinigami substitute, Byakuya began to see small variances.

_But, what do I do? How do I get away from him?_

"I can walk, Renji," he told the man holding him, "Put me down."

Aizen paused for a moment, then set Byakuya on his feet.

"Be careful," Aizen warned the noble, using Renji's voice, "That's not Ichigo. It's Aizen!"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo yelled, "Byakuya, don't listen to him! Fight him, Byakuya! C'mon!"

Byakuya met Ichigo's eyes meaningfully, and then collapsed into Aizen's arms.

"It appears he lost consciousness," said Aizen, "I have no time to waste on you, Ryoka boy. I will deal with you later."

_Find Renji! _Byakuya mouthed so that only Ichigo could see.

He relaxed in Aizen's arms as the traitor flash stepped away.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo cried, wanting to go after the two, but realizing the wisdom of respecting Byakuya's request.

He dug into the debris frantically, shouting to the others he saw, and beginning to wake them.

"Renji! Renji, C'mon, where are you, Abarai?"

"I'm here!" Renji called out, coughing as he moved, riling the dust and sending it into the air around him again, "Damn! Where's Taichou?"

Ichigo didn't answer right away, but moved closer and helped to dig the redhead the rest of the way out. The two collapsed on the debris pile, panting harshly as Unohana taichou and Kotetsu Isane emerged.

"Are you all right, Abarai-san? Kurosaki-san?" the fourth division taichou asked.

"We're okay," Renji assured her, "But I don't know where Taichou is."

Ichigo sighed and lowered his eyes.

"Aizen has him."

"What?"

"But Renji, Byakuya knows that he's with Aizen. He could tell that the illusion around him was a fake. He told me to bring you."

"Damn!" Renji fumed, "They've gotta be headed for the dimension wall. And half our forces are still digging their way out of here, or led off by that bastard's illusions! What do we do?"

"I will find Soutaichou," Unohana said, "Isane, you will tend to the wounded here, then join me in finding the captain commander."

"Hai," Isane said, kneeling alongside an injured guard.

Ichigo and Renji watched as the fourth division taichou disappeared, then exchanged glances.

"You know that once the defensive forces have gathered, Soutaichou is going to order us to kill Byakuya," Renji said in a low voice.

"So, what do you want to do?" asked Ichigo.

Renji glanced down at Zabimaru.

"I'm gonna find him first."

"How?"

"_Bankai_," Renji said solemnly, "_Doragon Nirro Dokuro_"

"Holy hell..." Ichigo breathed, watching as the huge skeletal dragon rose up in front of them, "Wh-what is that?"

Renji grinned.

"It's how we're gonna find him first. Get on."


End file.
